Social Sustainability
Waste Picker
Definition
A waste picker is an informal-economy worker who recovers recyclable and reusable materials from streets, bins, transfer stations or dumpsites for resale. Waste pickers number in the millions globally and recover a substantial share of materials recycled in many low- and middle-income countries.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Waste Picker” is defined and used.
Source imported for editorial provenance.
Overview
How it is used
The term appears in just transition and inclusive circular economy policy; organisations such as WIEGO and the International Alliance of Waste Pickers advocate for recognition in law and in plastics treaty negotiations; cities contract waste picker cooperatives for collection and sorting services.
Why it matters
Waste pickers deliver significant environmental benefits at little public cost. A just circular transition depends on integrating, rather than displacing, these workers as waste systems formalise.