Waste and Climate Change Workshop

Johannesburg, South Africa, September 7-8, 2011

Abstract

Fifty-three waste pickers from eight provinces in South Africa, members of the Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers and waste pickers from Kenya, Senegal, and Latin America. came together to discuss strategies as they prepared for COP17, the UN Climate Change Conference held in Durban in December 2011. Waste pickers learned about key concepts such as climate change and greenhouse gases. They learned about the environmental impact of recycling vs. ‘waste to energy,’ incineration, landfill gas extraction, and privatization. They discussed the impact of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects on the ground. They also learned about the ins and outs of the national waste policy and how to discuss these concepts with their local governments. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives facilitated workshops.