Waste pickers in Brazil, known as catadores, have been pushing for formal recognition and social protection over the last 20 years
The informal waste recycling sector in India accounts for around 4 million people, including waste pickers, local kabadiwaalas (small scrap aggregators), larger aggregator/junkyard owners, and intermediate dealers, or other middlemen playing a significant role in the recovery and recycling of resources.
As waste pickers around the world prepare to commemorate International Waste Pickers Day on March 1, workers in Senegal and Italy suffered catastrophic losses when police evicted them from their workplaces, while workers in Canada continue to struggle for decent work under new extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.