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Posted September 1st 2010 at 12:19 pm by Caroline Brun
My first impression is that informal waste management is a complex issue in Brazil. Some argue that working on an inclusive policy is not the only option and another system, without informal waste-pickers, should be promoted in the future. But is there any choice now? Catadores exist because there is an economic opportunity for them, but also because they do not have a better option to survive. They contribute to reducing public waste quantity and increasing recycling. Only 1% of domestic waste is recycled through municipal collection system in Sao Paulo.
Yet, the dialogue to include waste-pickers in waste management and recycling policy seems to be locked. Part of the problem might be in the shadows: invisible individuals or groups taking profit from the current system. Part of the solution might be projecting light: understanding, mapping the system to identify or create opportunities for change.