Between waste, resilience: strategic role of waste pickers in climate crisis

Rio De Janeiro, Mar 10 (The Conversation) Amidst debates about how to mitigate the climate crisis, the fate of our waste is a crucial point. In Brazil, we recycle only 4 per cent of what could be reused. Even so, the main pillars of this chain are the waste pickers.

Although they are often made invisible, these workers numbered at least 800,000 people in the latest estimates from 2022 – a number that today likely exceeds 1 million.

It is estimated that around 90 per cent of recyclable materials that reach the industry have passed through their hands. They are the ones who make the circular economy possible in the country, even under conditions marked by informality, precariousness, and the absence of basic rights.

At the same time, there are still around 3,000 active landfills in the country. Besides contaminating soil and groundwater, they produce the irregular burning of waste, which constitutes one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), greatly exacerbating global warming.

It's not for lack of laws ----------------------------- This scenario highlights the gap between legislation and practice. The National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS), established by Law 12.305 in 2010, mandated the eradication of open dumps in all Brazilian municipalities by the end of 2014. Even with the extension of the deadline to 2024, this objective has still not been met.

The PNRS (National Solid Waste Policy) introduced important principles, such as shared responsibility for the product life cycle and the socioeconomic inclusion of waste pickers.

It is one of the most advanced pieces of legislation in the world in this area. However, in practice, its implementation faces structural obstacles and conflicting economic interests.

Our team at the Interdisciplinary Research and Socio-environmental and Community Studies Group (GRIPES), from the Department of Social Work at PUC-Rio, has been seeking to understand these obstacles. Our studies start from a critical perspective that analyses the relationships between capital, labour, and nature.

In a recently published article, we discussed how the recycling sector largely sustains itself through informality and precarious work. We also assessed how public policies supporting waste picker organisations have evolved.

Organisation and competition for space ---------------------------------------------- Although the activity of waste pickers has been classified in the Brazilian Classification of Occupations (CBO 5192-5) since 2002, it still lacks greater formal recognition to guarantee better labour rights and social protection.

The most accessible way to obtain these resources would be through a sectoral organisation. However, despite the existence of more than 3,000 cooperatives or associations of waste pickers, only 5 per cent of these workers are linked to them.

Although facing challenges in gaining traction due to the high vulnerability of this group, their collective mobilisation has been fundamental.

Organisations such as the National Movement of Recyclable Material Collectors (MNCR) and the I Am a Collector Movement (MESC) have an active history of demanding better working conditions, greater participation in public policies, and recognition as central actors in waste management.

The actions of these movements have led to the approval of important legislative proposals, such as the 2013 constitutional amendment, which sought to facilitate access to retirement benefits for these workers.

However, the situation worsened between 2016 and 2022, in the face of a period of increasing precarization in various sectors of informal work in Brazil. Several government reforms imposed successive losses in access to social rights.

During this period, important federal decrees were revoked, such as the one that granted exclusive rights to waste pickers to receive recyclable materials from public agencies. In addition to providing this income guarantee, the measure officially recognised the legitimacy of this category in waste management.

The decree establishing the main training program for this category, the former Pro-Catador, was also revoked. This was a legal instrument specifically designed to support cooperatives and associations.

At the same time, other decrees were instituted that were very detrimental to this group. For example, they increased the administrative requirements to remain registered in the national waste management system.

Furthermore, the Recycling Credit Certificate (Recicla+) was established, reinforcing the centrality of companies in reverse logistics and increasing tensions with waste picker cooperatives. Currently, both have been revoked, but they represented the loss of achievements that took years to build.

In 2023, a Technical Working Group was created to review these regulations and reorient the Recicla+ Program. The process resulted in decrees No. 11,413 and No. 11,414, which reformulated instruments of the reverse logistics policy and instituted the Pro-Recyclers Program for Popular Recycling.

The participation of waste pickers, researchers, and industry representatives signalled an attempt to rebuild institutional dialogue, resume the inclusive role, and ensure more appropriate waste management in the country.

A crisis in the sector -------------------------- Despite recent progress, the sector is currently facing a deep crisis. Data from the Brazilian Association of Waste and Environment (ABREMA) indicate low valuation of recycled materials, tax insecurity, and a scarcity of credit. Several companies are closing, the production chain is shrinking, and waste is accumulating (often ending up in landfills).

While the impact is significant for the industry, it is even more severe for cooperatives. Many operate with reduced margins and end up defaulting on payments. This excludes them from the market, as tax compliance is a prerequisite for competing for grants and accessing other government support policies.

Furthermore, there is the challenge of organisational resilience. To meet the new demands of reverse logistics and partnerships with the private sector, continuous public investment in training, infrastructure, and financing is necessary.

The Solidarity Economy policy, which has gained ground on the agendas of productive inclusion and poverty reduction since 2003, still lacks regulation and institutional consolidation.

Another important point is the situation of independent waste pickers, who work in isolation on the streets. Continuous census policies and integration into associations and cooperatives are necessary to reduce the vulnerability of this group.

Furthermore, at the local level, the application of national guidelines depends on the actions of municipalities. They are responsible for the selective collection and the direct management of urban waste. Municipalities that included waste pickers had better results in waste management and in reducing negative environmental impact.

The debate about waste pickers and the climate crisis leads us to question the modes of production and social reproduction that structure our society. And, for the green economy to also be fair, it is essential to recognise the leading role of waste pickers, strengthen cooperatives, guarantee access to credit, and ensure decent working conditions. After all, productive inclusion must be a central part of the climate strategy. (The Conversation) SKS SKS