GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

On March 1, International Waste Pickers Day, commemorating the murder of waste pickers in Colombia in 1992, sheds light on the plight of informal waste workers globally and their indispensable yet marginalized role in waste management systems.

Informal Waste Pickers:

• Issues: Informal waste pickers, essential yet overlooked in waste management systems, face systemic marginalization, lacking recognition, representation, social security, and legal protection.
• Hurdles: Globally, they constitute 0.5%–2% of the urban population, often comprising women, children, elderly, and disabled individuals living in poverty, facing violence and sexual harassment.
• Hazardous working conditions and other challenges: In India, nearly 1.5 million informal waste pickers, including half a million women, endure hazardous working conditions, health issues, and caste-based discrimination, exacerbated by private sector involvement in waste management.

Challenges and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

• EPR: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in India, aimed at enhancing plastic waste management, risks displacing informal waste pickers by diverting waste from the informal sector.
• Issue in EPR: While EPR guidelines identify stakeholders, including producers and citizens, they overlook informal waste pickers and their organizations, disregarding their role in waste management.
• Struggle: Despite contributing up to 60% of plastic recycling globally, waste pickers struggle for recognition and decent livelihoods, facing health hazards from plastic fumes and microplastics.

Plastic Treaty and Just Transition:

• Integration: As India grapples with rising plastic waste generation, waste pickers' traditional knowledge can strengthen EPR implementation, necessitating a re-evaluation of EPR norms to integrate informal waste workers into the legal framework.
• Just transition: The proposed UN resolution to end plastic pollution by 2024 must ensure a just transition for waste pickers, recognizing their pivotal role in sustainable recycling.
• Required measures: Addressing the challenges faced by waste pickers is imperative for successful plastic management and achieving sustainable waste practices, emphasizing the need for inclusive policies and social recognition.