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Wastepicker organizations and urban sustainability
Published in Zsuzsa Gille, Josh Lepawsky, The Routledge Handbook of Waste Studies, 2021
SDG Goal number 11 is about making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Adequate waste management is a pre-condition for environmental and human health, particularly in densely populated areas. The goal specifically targets the reduction of the adverse environmental impacts of cities, by transitioning to circular economy. This goal puts emphasis on the removal and the adequate destination of waste, reduction, reuse, and recycling. Waste-pickers have the knowledge of making recommendations to the public, e.g., on materials that are not recyclable and are contaminating the recycling stream, thus further congesting landfills, or new packaging trends they observe over time. Some multi-layered packaging, such as multi-layered PET bottles used as milk containers, e.g., currently have no market, causing an environmental hazard and a nuisance for the waste-pickers who find them during material separation. The following figures (Figures 19.2 and 19.3) exemplify the problem posed by non-recyclable materials at the cooperative level. Every day, they separate these bottles from the rest of the material, without being able to sell them and having to stock them on their already limited space in the cooperative. Waste-picker organizations can play an important role in educating and making consumers more aware about problematic materials and their recyclability, which is a direct contribution to waste reduction.
Urban Waste (Municipal Solid Waste—MSW) to Energy
Published in Sheila Devasahayam, Kim Dowling, Manoj K. Mahapatra, Sustainability in the Mineral and Energy Sectors, 2016
Moshfiqur Rahman, Deepak Pudasainee, Rajender Gupta
The location of the landfill often has an impact on property values and the well-being of the surroundings, due to unpleasant odors, dust, noise, and pollution.Landfill waste can attract rodents, insects, and flies, which transmit parasites and communicable diseases to humans.Informal waste recycling often involves waste pickers who collect plastic, glass, metals, and other materials that can be merchandized for a profit. They are helping to reduce waste volume in landfills, but negative social-economic issues such as disease and poverty are often associated with these activities.Many of the environmental impacts of landfilling (local pollution and resource degradation) are faced by marginalized groups, such as people with a lower socioeconomic standing in the community.
Urban metabolism as governmentality
Published in Jens Stissing Jensen, Matthew Cashmore, Philipp Späth, The Politics of Urban Sustainability Transitions, 2018
Vanesa Castán Broto, Louise Guibrunet
The operation and living conditions of waste handlers in Mexico City are well documented (Buenrostro and Bocco 2003; Castillo Berthier 2003; Medina 2005). Informal waste-pickers are called pepenadores in Mexican Spanish, from the indigenous Nahuatl language: ‘to pick up’. Waste-pickers make a living by extracting valuable materials from domestic waste. These can be recyclable materials or objects that can be reused. For example, empty cosmetic bottles are sold to be refilled, rather than recycled. Food waste can also be selected, either to eat or to sell as animal feed.
Drivers-pressures-state-impact-response framework of hazardous waste management in China
Published in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2022
Qudsia Kanwal, Xianlai Zeng, Jinhui Li
The SocioEconomic drivers include strengthening of state-owned policies and social capital. Also, more grants should release for research projects and technological innovation associated with HW treatment. Moreover, taking the lead in achieving the combination of education and research, production, and provide appropriate entrepreneurial platforms for the rapid application of new technologies (Sohu, 2019). For recycling initiatives, integration of informal waste pickers into formal waste management can be done. Private sector ownership and the recycling system's management can bring high fiscal and functioning sustainability (Kaza et al., 2018; Vergara & Tchobanoglous, 2012). Many previous adventures indicate that economic incentives are nearly indispensable to drive smooth recycling and disposal (Schwarzer, 1979; X. Zeng et al., 2017).
Risk factors for problematic alcohol use among male waste pickers and caddies in Johannesburg, South Africa: a cross-sectional study
Published in Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2022
Simbulele Mdleleni, Nisha Naicker, Felix Made, Vusi Ntlebi, Tahira Kootbodien, Nonhlanhla Tlotleng, Matimba Makhubele, Kerry Wilson
Golf is an important industry in SA.6 In addition to carrying golfers SAros during their game, caddies are expected to clean golf clubs’ wash the dirt off the golf balls and offer helpful advice to the golfers.7 Caddies are independent contractors who work on the golf courses in South Africa, often the clubs provide a uniform to the caddies and a meal from the set payment. Fewer golf players use caddy services when carts are available, so often caddies only receive work a few times a week. Little research has been conducted on the health and lifestyles of this often unrecognized group of informal workers.8 Waste picking and solid waste recycling are a prominent part of the urban landscape in many cities in the country.9 Waste pickers collect waste from public places such as garbage dumps and streets and sell it to buy back centers; despite working full time they have low socioeconomic status.10 A high proportion of South African waste pickers have been shown to consume alcohol (41%) in a study by Viljoen et al.10
Global plastic waste management strategies (Technical and behavioral) during and after COVID-19 pandemic for cleaner global urban life
Published in Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2021
Muhammad Taqi Mehran, Salman Raza Naqvi, Muhammad Ali Haider, Maryam Saeed, Muhammad Shahbaz, Tareq Al-Ansari
In economically developed countries, the waste management staff is equipped with proper PPE while picking up the household and hospital waste. As per WHO guidelines, the local administration must make sure that all the workers are using PPEs to avoid contracting the coronavirus (Cohen 2020; Organization, W.H 2020). However, in the developing nations, this sector is the most neglected one even on the normal days with short resources and extremely limited staff. Along with the regular staff, many people earn their livelihood by picking waste and selling it for recycling. They are an important element for the meager recycling of the plastic waste in poor countries, but they are the ones who are most prone to COVID-19 contagion (Nzediegwu and Chang 2020; Uddin et al. 2020). The coronavirus spread may be multiplied by inadequate waste management, owing to the poor handling conditions accompanied by inappropriate use of personal protective equipment and numerous unfavorable conditions encountered in the poor and developing countries (Mol and Caldas 2020). The policymakers and governments must consider the miserable conditions of these waste pickers who have catastrophic livelihood situations. Solid waste management and recycling in the poor countries run mainly due to the contributions of these waste pickers and an effort to improve their wellbeing during the pandemic will contribute to the long-term goals of environmental sustainability through resource recycling.