ragpickers

Global Stakeholders’ Consultation | The Lifecycle Of Plastics And Human Rights

Global Stakeholders’ Consultation | The Lifecycle Of Plastics And Human Rights

In many countries, youth and vulnerable groups increasingly join the informal waste sector in search of a living. Informal waste reclaiming and treatment can empower marginalized communities, giving them social and working dignity. However, informal waste workers are often unskilled, untrained and perform scavenging and waste picking operations in unsafe and unhygienic conditions. Lack of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, glasses, and masks, exposes them to contamination from hazardous materials and accidental wounds caused by improper management on a daily basis.