Reducing Waste Towards a Just Transition: Exploring Work, Labour, and Value in Informal Recycling Chain!
The significance of the report becomes evident in the face of an unprecedented surge in global waste generation, an urgent issue demanding immediate attention. With an estimated 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste worldwide and a projected 70% increase before the mid-century, taking swift action is imperative to effectively address this pressing challenge.
Report highlights the dynamics of the informal recycling chain in Adana, Türkiye
The International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye has unveiled a comprehensive report that delves into the dynamics of the informal recycling chain in Adana, southern province of Türkiye.
Titled “Reducing Waste Towards a Just Transition: Exploring Work, Labour, and Value in the Informal Recycling Chain”, the report provides a comprehensive portrayal of the working conditions of waste pickers in the recycling industry rapidly growing in Adana. The report, employing a relational approach, traces and documents the informal relations shaping the recycling industry in the province. The research delves into the local and global dynamics, identifying waste flows, actors, linkages, and valorisation along the recycling value chain. Additionally, the study explores the legalities, policies, and institutions enabling this expansion.
The significance of the report becomes evident in the face of an unprecedented surge in global waste generation, an urgent issue demanding immediate attention. With an estimated 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste worldwide and a projected 70% increase before the mid-century, taking swift action is imperative to effectively address this pressing challenge.
Recycling, considered a cornerstone of the circular economy, emerges as a key solution to counter the linear "take-make-waste" approach. The report emphasizes the urgency of systemic change, especially considering the Environmental Investigation Agency findings that only 6% of global plastic waste was recycled between 1990 and 2019.
Highlighting the global disparities in recycling rates, the report addresses the complexities of waste management, including the export of waste from high-income to low-income countries.
Türkiye has become a major player in the global recycling chain, particularly following the imposition of import bans on waste by South-Eastern countries. Adana, a primary hub in Türkiye's waste management landscape, absorbs nearly half of the country's waste imports. The rapid expansion of the recycling industry in the region has significant implications for employment, technology integration, and organizational structures.
In addition, the growth of the recycling industry in Türkiye has profoundly affected both workers and employers. Owners of micro-enterprises within the sector seize the opportunity to expand their businesses through increased capital investment and the creation of new employment opportunities. Although a limited number of these opportunities offer adequate and fair wages as well as decent working conditions, a rising number of waste pickers and blue-collar workers are entering the industry.
Through this report, the ILO highlights the need for social dialogue among tripartite constituents as well as other stakeholders involved, with a view to take action for achieving decent work through the promotion of green jobs and just transition in the recycling sector. By enhancing understanding of the recycling chain, the report seeks to create fair, decent, and inclusive employment and business opportunities, contributing to the transition towards more climate-neutral economies and societies.
The full report can be read here
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---gjp/documents/publication/wcms_905814.pdf
(energy news from türkiye)