INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF
WASTE PICKERS
WASTE PICKERS
The International Alliance of Waste Pickers is a networking process supported by WIEGO, among thousands of waste picker organizations with groups in more than 32 countries covering mainly Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Supported by
Life & Voices
Get to know waste picker leaders who have actively participated in the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers process.
Where are we?
Provisional list of hundreds of waste pickers’ groups around the globe.
Recent newsletter
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News from Waste Pickers around the world
Organizing
Day 2 of INC-2: Make Just transition a core obligation of the Plastic Treaty!
An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) is the space where countries discuss and decide in the plenary, in this case about the plastic pollution problem to agree on a lega...
Day 1 at INC-2: Make just transition a core obligation of the treaty!
This is a report to summarize what the International Alliance of Waste Pickers delegation is doing at the Plastic pollution treaty negotiations at INC-2 in Paris. Get to know our a...
Side event for INC-2: What must the treaty text contain to deliver a just transition?
The Just Transition Initiative and the International Alliance of Waste Pickers invite you to an INC-2 Paris 2023 side event: What must the treaty text contain to deliver a just t...
May Day 2023 is a time to recognize waste pickers as workers and to fight for a fair and just society for all
On this International Workers’ Day, we, the waste pickers – who collect and sort recyclable materials from the waste generated by households, businesses, and industries –...
The transition of Kpone waste pickers into a cooperative: the journey so far
On August 16, 2019 the Kpone engineered landfill (in Accra, Ghana) site was in flames and about 300 waste pickers had to be relocated to an abandoned dumpsite nearby. The workers...
Threats
Dry waste centre and the basis of our livelihood have been destroyed
The Dry Waste Collection Centre (DWCC) in ward 177, JP Nagar (India), was set on fire on 20th May 2023. The centre is run by Kumuda, a former waste picker who put her own money int...
Recyclers demand respect and continuity of work in Cerro Patacón
Members of the National Movement of Recyclers of Panama (MNRP) marched on Thursday, March 23, to the vicinity of the Presidency of the Republic, located in San Felipe. The recycler...
The International Alliance of Waste Pickers at COP27 – Egypt
With the support of GAIA and WIEGO, the International Alliance of Waste Pickers will be participating in the COP27 in Egypt. The delegation will be in Sharm El Sheikh from the 1...
Waste picker shelters burned in Bantar Gebang Landfill (Indonesia)
On March 15, at 2pm Indonesia time, shelters of members of Ikatan Pemulung Indonesia (Indonesia Waste-pickers Union – IPI) were burned near Bantar Gebang Landfill (in Bekasi,...
Fire outbreak in waste picker homes in Ghana
On March 16, 15 waste pickers in Ghana at Kpone landfill lost their properties due to a fire outbreak at their quarters that started during the night. Their homes, where they lived...
Publications
MNCR leader Alex Cardoso launches his book: Do Lixo a Bixo
The waste picker Alex Cardoso promoted the launching of his book, together with other waste pickers connected to the National Movement of Waste Pickers (MNCR) in Brazil. “Do lixo...
Podcast on Reclaimers in South Africa
In this podcast published by New Frame they interview Kopano Mokoena, Thando Nkalaand Eva Mokoena, reclaimers of Johannesburg, South Africa. They also interview Federico Parra (WIE...
Video on global threats to waste pickers’ work
This video detects all the threats to the work of latent waste pickers around the world today. The threats are a constant in their work, but the video assumes that because the threats are global, the resistance and struggle against them must be equally global and in solidarity within the working class
International Live streaming: Waste Pickers Organization in the World
The National movement of Brazilian Waste Pickers (MNCR), together with the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, will bring together waste pickers from around the world to discuss stra...
Waste Workers’ Safety during the COVID-19 pandemic (webinar)
The video of the webinar is available in YouTube. On Thursday April 30th, 2020, at 15:00h CEST the webinar Waste Workers’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, organized by UN...