Fair Pay for the Heroes of Plastic Recovery: Closing the Living Income Gap
Informal waste-pickers form the backbone of plastic recovery in many regions. Estimates indicate that informal workers account for a substantial share — in some analyses approaching 60 percent — of the plastic collected for recycling globally. They recover materials that formal systems often miss, particularly in areas with limited municipal infrastructure.
Despite this contribution, most continue to work under precarious conditions. Recent living-income studies in Colombia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and other locations show that average earnings frequently fall well below the amount required for a decent standard of living for a household. In one Colombian assessment, average monthly income for informally organised waste-pickers remained significantly below the calculated living-income benchmark for a family of four. Similar gaps appear across multiple countries.
These workers face occupational hazards, limited access to protective equipment, social stigma, and unstable markets for the materials they collect. Many lack formal recognition, social protections, or pathways to skills development and enterprise ownership. The result is a system that relies on essential labour while leaving the workers themselves in poverty-like conditions.
Progress is possible. Community-based projects that formalise collection routes, provide fair pricing, offer training, and improve working conditions have demonstrated measurable improvements in income and dignity. When waste-pickers move from informal scavenging to recognised roles as suppliers or cooperative members, earnings can rise substantially and working conditions improve. Traceable recovery systems that include social safeguards further strengthen accountability.
Closing the living-income gap is both a justice issue and a practical requirement for scaling circular systems. Fair compensation, safety measures, skills training, and recognition as Circularity Heroes help retain experienced workers, improve material quality, and build more resilient recovery networks. Organisations and brands that fund verified recovery can and should prioritise projects that deliver both environmental outcomes and living wages.
Supporting the people who recover plastic is not peripheral to solving pollution. It is central to building systems that are effective, equitable, and durable.
Resources
- WIEGO research on informal waste workers
- Fair Circularity Initiative and related living-income studies
- Plastic Collective Foundation education, training, and mentorship programmes
