Waste Pickers under Attack in Downtown Buenos Aires
In April, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires deployed garbage containers that excluded and stigmatized urban waste pickers. These are smart containers that can only be open...
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
Category: Denunciations
India’s cleanest city Indore evicting waste-pickers from work
The Alliance of Indian Waste-pickers condemns exclusion of waste-pickers in Indore. To prepare for Swachh Bharat Survey 2019 (Clean India Survey 2019), the Indore Municipal Corpora...
Indore’s Wastepicker in Buenos Aires
Koushlya Bai is a waste-picker from Indore, associated with Janvikas Society. She is participating in the exchange of the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, as a representative of A...
Call from RENAREC to stop the removal of the redeemable tax on plastic bottles (IRBP)
Drawing from the meeting between delegates of the Ministry of Industry and Productivity (MIPRO) of Ecuador and private employers due to the possible removal of the IRPB, the Nation...
Report of persecution and harassment of leader waste pickers in Colombia
The Association of Waste pickers of Bogota (ARB) published this report (download PDF) describing the current condition experienced by trade union leaders in Colombia. This associat...
Violent Assault of Waste Pickers Near Genesis Landfill, Johannesburg
On June 20th, at least 70 reclaimers (waste pickers) were violently attacked in a raid by the Red Ants, a private security company specialising in evictions. The attack took place ...
Bengaluru’s Dry Waste Collection Centres Are Not Being Paid for Their Work
Bengaluru (India) city’s dry waste collection centres (DWCCs) operated by erstwhile waste-pickers and waste collectors have not been paid their dues for more than a year. The DWC...
Condemnation of the brutal killing of a waste picker in Rajkot (India), demand for immediate action
This is the letter endorsed by members of the Alliance of Indian Waste-pickers condemning the killing of Mukesh Vaniya, a waste picker in Rajkot Rajkot, Gujarat (India). Dated: 25t...
The criminalization of street waste pickers in Brazil: a human rights crisis
When it comes to recycling policy, Porto Alegre is a city of firsts. In 1986, Porto Alegre became the first Brazilian city to legally recognize a waste picker organization. In 1990...
Brazilian waste pickers say there is a scarcity of recyclable material
The cruel face of the economic crisis can be best observed in the daily life of waste pickers. In the past four months, there has been a huge drop in the volume of recyclable mater...
Brazilian waste pickers denounce misogynist violence
It is with deep disappointment that we waste pickers, workers, mothers, and heads of families, denounce the intolerance and lack of democratic values that we now see displayed on c...
The Federation of Waste Pickers of Argentina mobilizes to defend inclusive recycling
On August 27, the waste pickers marched to the Ministry of the Environment and Public Space, protesting the city’s failure to implement the recycling service agreement. We are profoundly worried that if this continues, the Ministry of the Environment and Public Space will put at risk the health of the city, will increase the waste being buried at landfills…
Ambika, a proud waste manager
Recently there was an article/video asking for a ban on waste picking and attacking the organization that is working to organize this section of eco warriors (they retrieve valuables like nobody can), they say waste picking should NOT be formalized. Listen to this lady whose livelihood depends on the waste the city throws.
Petition! Support informal recyclers and zero waste in Bogota
We invite concerned groups and individuals across the globe to support a petition by Bogota’s informal recyclers (waste pickers) urging Colombia’s Inspector-General, Alejandro Ordóñez, to reverse the decision to oust the democratically-elected Mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro. The ruling against Mayor Petro was based on actions he took against private waste management companies in the process of implementing an inclusive Zero Waste Program in Bogota.
SWaCH: Waste pickers divert 97 tons of festival offerings from the city’s rivers
125 wastepickers, with the support of 400 volunteers diverted over 97 tonnes of nirmalya — offerings from this Ganapati festival — from the city’s rivers!!
Civil society groups say the Montevideo waste law disregards waste pickers
The Montevideo “Waste Law”, initiated by the municipality in 2004 requires companies that produce waste to develop a waste management plan. The city, now focusing on the recycling aspects of this law, wants the waste pickers to formalize into businesses. The law requires that the organizations that win the public bid contract waste pickers and manage their operations, controlling their work hours and and the neighborhoods in which they collect.
MNCR: The Porto Alegre (Brazil) government doesn’t like waste pickers
The National Movement of Brazilian Waste Pickers – MNCR/RS, strongly denounces statements made by Fernando Mello, the coordinator of the program that will ban the use of horse-drawn carts by the beginning of 2015. “We want to end informal recycling, as well as other informal livelihoods, that many times operate in inhuman conditions, so that they can work formally and in more lucrative and dignified jobs.”
Circulating with horse-drawn carts in Montevideo
On August 5th, the Coordinadora Pro Clasificadores (CPC) circulated a press release in support of the clasificadores, saying in short that the government should look closely at soc...
Waste pickers unite for rights, bewail government corruption
In the face of the pork barrel scam that has recently shaken the country, Luzon-based waste pickers unite today to bewail corruption as a dagger driven right into their hearts, trampling on their rights for social recognition and legal protection as unsung heroes of the environment.
SAFAI SENA: If they pick waste, they must be thieves — the daily struggles of a waste picker in Delhi
Manwara, a waste picker, has been in Delhi since her childhood. She chose this work to add to her husband’s income who is also a waste picker. Recently, Manwara’s dream turned ugly when her innocent children were blamed for a theft that happened in the nearby area. She was unaware that her being waste picker would make her so vulnerable to being accused, harassed, and suffers violence openly.