SWaCH: Waste pickers divert 97 tons of festival offerings from the city’s rivers
125 wastepickers, with the support of 400 volunteers diverted over 97 tonnes of nirmalya — offerings from this Ganapati festival — from the city’s rivers!!
INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF
WASTE PICKERS
WASTE PICKERS
The International Alliance of Waste Pickers is a union of waste picker organizations representing more than 460,000 workers across 34 countries
Supported by
waste pickers
MNCR: The Porto Alegre (Brazil) government doesn’t like waste pickers
The National Movement of Brazilian Waste Pickers – MNCR/RS, strongly denounces statements made by Fernando Mello, the coordinator of the program that will ban the use of horse-drawn carts by the beginning of 2015. “We want to end informal recycling, as well as other informal livelihoods, that many times operate in inhuman conditions, so that they can work formally and in more lucrative and dignified jobs.”
“As of today, the waste pickers of Rio de Janeiro will go hungry”
In the first week of September, 246 waste pickers of the Gericinó dumpsite in Bangú, a peripheral neighborhood in the Rio de Janeiro municipality, were facing the possibility of being suddenly out of work. The workers found out that the city, which has been in the process of closing the dumpsite for many months, was going to hand management over to a private company within two weeks time and that the dumpsite would be off limits.
Quezon City waste pickers call fellow workers, government, and society to action in their Unity Statement
On the occasion of the “Waste Picker Regional Training and Consultation”, held on September 3, 2013 in Quezon City, Philippines, we stand committed and united in mind, voice, and action to attain our dreams and aspirations of a better situation and livelihood, that we may rise above our poverty and ensure a better future for our children.
Waste pickers unite for rights, bewail government corruption
In the face of the pork barrel scam that has recently shaken the country, Luzon-based waste pickers unite today to bewail corruption as a dagger driven right into their hearts, trampling on their rights for social recognition and legal protection as unsung heroes of the environment.
Safai Sena waste pickers protest exploitation by private contractors
On August 16, 2013, over 250 waste recyclers of Safai Sena held a protest in front of Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam office. Many of them marched over 12 kilometers despite heavy rains that day. The protest was organized to raise a collective voice against the illegal collection of money by private contractors and exploitation of waste recyclers in Kavi Nagar and Mohan Nagar zones.
Davao City waste pickers call fellow workers, government, and society to action in their Unity Statement
On the occasion of the “Waste Picker Regional Training and Consultation”, held from July 30-31, 2013 at the UCCP Shalom Center, Davao City, we stand committed and united in mind, voice, and action to attain our dreams and aspirations of a better situation and livelihood, that we may rise above our poverty and ensure a better future for our children.
Philippines: Waste Pickers Frame Common Agenda, Fight for Right to Socio-legal Recognition
“Amidst incessantly growing joblessness, the government should uphold pro-poor projects and legislations that will improve occupational health and safety of waste pickers, secure their employment and encourage more unemployed Filipinos to enter the recycling industry,” said Thomas Kellenberger, Founding President of the Philippine Island Kids International Foundation, Inc.
Cebu City waste pickers call fellow workers, government, and society to action in their Unity Statement
On the occasion of this meeting, dubbed “Waste Picker Regional Training and Consultation”, July 24-25 at the University of Cebu, Banilad, Cebu City, we stand committed and united in mind, voice, and action to attain our dreams and aspirations of a better situation and livelihood, that we may rise above our poverty and ensure a better future for our children.
MNCR: Residents of Barueri protest the installation of a waste incinerator
The government of Barueri plans on burning 97 percent of its waste and recycling only 3 percent, as well as burning waste from nearby cities. The proposal runs against the National Waste Policy, which gives priority to reducing and recycling with social inclusion, as well as federal and UN environmental policies.
WIEGO and Waste Pickers Speak at Joburg Waste Summit
On May 15 and 16, 2013 over 400 people attended the Joburg Waste Summit, hosted by the Johannesburg Council and its waste management company Pikitup. The Council and Pikitup urgently need to find ways to minimize waste going to landfill, and the Summit was called to explore how to do this. WIEGO and SAWPA argued that landfill reclaimers need to be included in all discussions and new recycling initiatives.
Mazdoor Chetna Sabha: waste pickers celebrate May Day in New Delhi
In recognition of International Labour Day, or May Day, AIKMM and its associate organization NALR hosted a program to promote solidarity amongst the waste collectors in northeast Delhi.
Chintan Celebrated Earth Day at New Delhi Railway Station
Chintan celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd, in partnership with the Indian Railways at the New Delhi Railway Station. The Chintan team along with waste pickers with Safai Sena encouraged commuters to sign pledges to not litter the station and to crush plastic bottles before discarding them.
Victory in Bangalore, India: Waste pickers to receive social security
The 15,000 waste pickers of Bangalore, India, had an end of the year victory. Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagara palike (BBMP), the local government, is going to provide social security benefits to the waste pickers.
Raising pigs in Kenya: Dandora waste pickers have a pig project
As part of the organizational efforts from the Kenyan Alliance of Waste Pickers, a group from Dandora, Kenya, has started a project to raise pigs.
Waste pickers and their children have the right to an education!
Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP), a registered trade union of waste pickers based in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, organised an awareness programme for its members on January 2 2013, to familiarise them with RTE Act, and particularly to discuss with them how to make best use of the provisions of the 25% reservation quota for children from deprived backgrounds.
Photos from the waste pickers’ march for inclusion in Bogota – Dec. 13, 2012
Photos from the waste picker’s march for inclusion in Bogotá, past December 13th 2012. Photo credits: Federico Parra
SWACH Newsletter – Issue 5 – November 2012
Check out SWaCH waste pickers’ cooperative November 2012 Newsletter. Read articles about waste pickers working with scrap shops, pianist Kimball Ghallager making music with SWaCH, E-waste programs in schools across India, waste pickers keeping Pune’s rivers clean, and much more. Download the SWaCH Newsletter Issue 5 in English or in Marathi.
Chintan’s new study – Give Back our Waste: What the Okhla waste-to-energy plant has done to local wastepickers
Dear Friend, Greetings from Chintan! We are delighted to share with you our latest study titled “Give Back Our Waste”: What the Okhla Waste-to-Energy Plant has Done to Local Wa...
SWaCH struggle for labor rights continues
India – November 2012 Update from Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers (AIW): SWaCH officially terminated work on November 1 in the PCMC (the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporati...