Waste pickers’ cooperatives: social and environmental impacts in the recycling value chain in Cordoba, Argentina

Celina N. Amato, M. Buraschi and S. D. González

Development in Practice, 2024, vol. 34, issue 5, 537-554

Abstract: In Argentina, waste pickers play an important role in the recovery of recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW). Most of them organise themselves in cooperatives to gain more visibility and overcome their situation of vulnerability. Their activity involves numerous social and environmental impacts that should be considered when assessing the recycling value chain’s performance. With this aim and resorting to the concept of upgrading, this article analyses the impact of waste pickers’ cooperatives in Cordoba and the opportunities for a better social and environmental performance of the chain. We found that waste pickers’ cooperatives have positive and negative social and environmental impacts. Our work makes an empirical contribution to the literature on waste pickers from a Global South perspective, highlighting the need for a more integrative and inclusive framework for MSW management oriented towards the circular economy which formally integrates waste pickers as key actors in urban hygiene.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2024.2355550

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