GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF
WASTE PICKERS
WASTE PICKERS
The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers is a networking process supported by WIEGO, among thousands of waste picker organizations with groups in more than 28 countries covering mainly Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Supported by
UNEA 5 in Kenya
UN Environment Assembly. 28 Feb. – 2 March 2022.
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
Check out the latest GlobalRec newsletter. You can also subscribe to receive it by email.
News from Waste Pickers around the world
Organizing
We Speak Too webinar, by Sanitation Workers in Mumbai
A multi-city series of curated seminars — ‘We speak too, by Sanitation Workers’, co-organised by Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance of Indian ...
GlobalRec seeks meaningful participation of waste pickers in the first negotiations of Plastics Treaty in Uruguay
The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers has submitted the position paper for the first intergovernmental negotiating committee meeting on plastic pollution. The submission recommends ...
Delegation of Waste Pickers Attends the ad-hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) meeting held in Dakar, organized pursuant to United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14
Globalrec’s waste picker delegation participated in several reunions, side-events, press conferences and other projects from May 29 to Jun 1, reinforcing the importance of having a waste picker delegation attending global reunions like UNEA.
Possibilities for a just transition of the informal waste sector (webinar)
The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers participates in the webinar “Possibilities for a just transition of the informal waste sector” organized by UN-Habitat and the Norw...
Recycling Without Waste Pickers is Garbage: 2022 Global Waste Picker Day
This March 1st, 2022, waste pickers paid a new homage to the fellow waste pickers who were murdered in Colombia in 1992. In their honor, this date became a global day in which recy...
Threats
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...
REDLACRE builds a manifesto to guide action towards waste picker threats
The document serves as a guide for action and carries strategic messages on several issues. The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Waste Pickers, REDLACRE, developed virtually...
Waste pickers from Bokk Diom work on their integration into waste management
Waste pickers of Mbeubeuss (Dakar’s public landfill) initiated research into alternative livelihoods motivated by the threats to their work at the landfills. In November 2021...
Protests in 20 cities in Minas Gerais condemn garbage incineration
Protests brought together environmentalists and waste pickers on July 21st in a day of struggle against the Ministry of Environment’s edict. Protests over 20 cities in Minas ...
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...
