Box 2.4: Protecting informal workers in the waste sector

At the same time, a reduction in recycling activities has exacerbated the challenges in this sector, affecting many of the estimated 15 million informal workers in this sector.35 Typically belonging to the poorest urban communities, without social protection or health insurance, the pandemic has made their situation even more precarious. In the immediate aftermath of the first lockdown, many were unable to earn a living. In a study of women waste pickers during lockdown in Delhi, 68 per cent of respondents reported that they were unable to perform their normal work sorting and selling recyclables due to shop closures, police patrols and a lack of protective equipment. Nevertheless, given their need to continue to bring in some form of income, waste pickers continued to work when possible despite the lack of health and safety protections.36

Box 2.4: Protecting informal workers in the waste sector

The pandemic and the various restrictions put in place in cities to prevent its spread have not only disrupted urban waste management systems, but also threatened the livelihoods and health of waste pickers who play a vital role in collection and recycling. A number of measures have been taken by local governments and other stakeholders to mitigate the direct effects of these mobility restriction measures on solid waste management, including:

• Declaration of waste management as an essential service, including waste picker associations

• Development of guidelines and protocols for informal waste pickers, as well as waste picker associations working with municipalities

• Adjustment of collection routes and re-assignment of workers, especially of high-risk groups

• Provision of food, shelter and income

• Distribution of personal protective equipment and installation of handwashing stations at key locations such as dumps to reduce risk of infection

• Exemptions or reductions on water, sanitation and urban waste tariffs

Garbage Collectors wearing face masks during Corona Virus Pandemic in Cape Town, South Africa © Shutterstock