INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF 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 Logo WIEGO

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Written by Sonia Dias

July 26, 2016


Eugene Gadsden has been a canner for nearly 30 years. Eugene wanted to earn his own living instead of depending on the soup kitchen. Thus, together with Sister Ana Martinez de Luco he helped found Sure We Can, a non-profit redemption center in Brooklyn, New York.

The canners who belong to the organization collect the containers and redeem cans and bottles for 5 cents each. For Eugene Gadsden, canning is an honest way of living”. Canning has become a source of livelihood for many workers. As Eugene notes, “it’s job like any other”, with its own set of responsibilities and demands.

This interview (video available) is part of a scoping exercise in NYC carried out on July 12, 2016 by WIEGO´s waste specialist Sonia Dias, as part of the series Scenes from the Heart of Recycling.

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