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

Posted by
Written by Arreciclar

Region

Country Colombia

December 20, 2017

Translated by Jose Cortés


The current national legislation in Colombia, which assures the recognition and remuneration of waste pickers as public service providers, has enabled waste picker organizations in different cities to receive their first payment. The organization Arreciclar from Medellín, a member of the National Association of Recyclers (ANR for its acronym in Spanish), will receive payment by the municipality. Since December 2016, Arreciclar has been included in the unique registry of public service providers, which is the first requirement to be formally accredited as a public service provider.
Furthermore, with the support of ANR, WIEGO and the Fundación Familia, the organization receives training and operational support for organization, consolidation and reporting to the Unique Information System (SUI for its acronym in Spanish) of the Public Services Department: an online platform where information on public service provision is reported.

At the same time, Arreciclar has formed the Account Reconciliation Committee with Empresas Varias de Medellín (subsidiary of Empresas Públicas de Medellín) and Cooperativa Recimed (another waste picker cooperative which acts as a recycling service provider). The goal is to be able to provide the first payment to waste pickers by August 2017, and in doing so, become the second provincial capital in the country to achieve this level of progress in the recognition and inclusion of waste pickers as recycling service providers.