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

Stats « Waste pickers Around the World (WAW)

  • WAW in numbers
  • 427 Number of organizations in the data base
  • 114 Number of organizations that are Waste Picker Organizations
  • 3,934,136 Waste pickers in waste picker organizations

Organizational Reach number of organizations (%)

Local (60.5%)

69 (60.5%)

National (23.7%)

27 (23.7%)

Regional (11.4%)

13 (11.4%)

Not known (3.5%)

4

International (0.9%)

1

(Total organizations formed by waste pickers: 114)

60.5%
23.7%
11.4%
3.5%
0.9%

Type of organization number of organizations (%)

Cooperative (37.7%)

43 (37.7%)

Association (31.6%)

36 (31.6%)

Federation of cooperatives (15.8%)

18 (15.8%)

Self-help group (8.8%)

10 (8.8%)

Network of cooperatives (7.9%)

9 (7.9%)

Trade union (7%)

8 (7%)

Community based organization (6.1%)

7 (6.1%)

Movement (5.3%)

6

Non governmental organization (5.3%)

6

Non profit organization (5.3%)

6

Alliance (4.4%)

5

Women´s group

4

Federation

4

Membership based organization

3

Network

3

Church organization

1

Other

1

(Total organizations formed by waste pickers: 114)

43 (37.7%)
36 (31.6%)
18 (15.8%)
10 (8.8%)
9 (7.9%)
8 (7%)
7 (6.1%)
6 (5.3%)
6 (5.3%)
6 (5.3%)
5 (4.4%)

Country number of organizations (%)

Brazil: 27 (23.7%)

India: 25 (21.9%)

Colombia: 13 (11.4%)

Ghana: 3

South Africa: 3

Peru: 3

Argentina: 3

Canada: 3

Nicaragua: 2

United States of America: 2

France: 2

Panama: 2

Honduras: 2

Mali: 2

Chile: 2

Venezuela: 2

Cameroon: 1

Bolivia: 1

Uganda: 1

Uruguay: 1

Mexico: 1

Italy: 1

Serbia: 1

Ecuador: 1

Paraguay: 1

Benin: 1

Nigeria: 1

Democratic Republic of Congo: 1

Indonesia: 1

Bangladesh: 1

Dominican Republic: 1

Senegal: 1

Costa Rica: 1

Kenya: 1

Type of members number of organizations (%)

Members are waste pickers 99 (86.8%)

Members are waste picker organizations 30 (26.3%)

Members are multi sector 9 (7.9%)

Waste picker support organization 5 (4.4%)

Members employ waste pickers 5 (4.4%)

Potential supporters 1 (0.9%)

Occupation of members number of organizations (%)

Waste pickers 114 (100%)

Waste collectors 13 (11.4%)

Solid waste managers 11 (9.6%)

Itinerant buyers 7 (6.1%)

Itinerant workers 7 (6.1%)

Scrap dealers 7 (6.1%)

Street sweepers 2 (1.8%)

Year Formed number of organizations

Not known

1972

1975

1984

1989

1990

1991

1993

1994

1995

1997

1999

2001

2004

2005

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2018

2021

60
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
5
1
4
4
5
4
6
2
2
2
2
1
1

Year Registered number of organizations

Not known

1985

1991

1994

1997

1998

2000

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2015

2018

2021

84
1
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
3
2
1
1
1
2

Activities number of organizations

Selling materials

Community storage of materials

Waste sorting

Community sale of materials

Collection of recyclables

Sorting waste

Waste collection

Collecting materials

Training and capacity building

Special collections from large generators of waste

Sensitization of locals

Recycling

Collecting waste

Cleaning

Organizing collective events

Composting

Waste management

Collection of waste

New items made from collected materials

Buying materials

Transportation

Street sweeping

Farming

Tree planting

20
20
19
18
18
17
16
16
14
13
12
11
11
11
10
10
10
9
7
7
6
5
2
1

Workplace of Members number of organizations

Street

Dumpsite

Door to door

Landfill

Sorting center

Recycling center

Home-based

Collection from companies

Open

Slums

Sanitary landfill

Fixed

Other

Companies

86
28
28
20
18
15
15
15
14
12
7
7
6
6

What kind of relationship exists with the municipality? number of organizations

Providers of infrastructure

Integrated into formal systems of source segregation

None

Payment for materials collected

10
8
7
1

Languages number of organizations

Spanish

English

Portuguese

Hindi

Marathi

French

Konkani

Urdu

Bangla

Indonesia-Bahasa

Serbian

Kannada

Italian

Bomu

Khasi

Tamil

Bozo, Tiéyaxo

Lingala

Bambara

Tshiluba

Swahili

Kikongo

Wolof

Toucouleur

Serere

Peulh

Mandingue

Telugu

39
33
21
16
13
9
4
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1