Contested Waste

Environmental conflicts and waste picker resistance in the Global South
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-74280-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 380 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge Studies in Political Ecology

Contested Waste’ examines socio-environmental conflicts involving waste pickers in the Global South, uncovering the systemic injustices that underpin contemporary waste policies. Driven by the privatisation of waste management, these conflicts expose the “recycling paradox”: while waste pickers make critical, uncompensated contributions to sustainability, they are further excluded by new policies. 

This book analyses how modern waste policies marginalise waste pickers, triggering conflicts in cities across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Drawing on over 70 conflicts documented in the Global Environmental Justice Atlas, the book explores how privatisation, incineration, and waste enclosures displace informal recyclers and worsen the sustainability crisis. These processes exemplify "capital accumulation by dispossession," as waste streams are enclosed and privatised, excluding waste pickers, and "capital accumulation by contamination," as environmental burdens are shifted onto marginalised communities. The book also showcases waste pickers’ resilience as they organise to fight for justice and equitable waste systems.

 Essential for scholars, policymakers, and activists in environmental justice, development, and urban studies, this book reveals the structural drivers of waste conflicts and the transformative power of grassroots resistance in shaping sustainable and inclusive urban futures.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vico, Daniele

Demaria, Federico

Gabard, Lucia Fernandez

Gabard, Lucía Fernández

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Humangeographie
• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Geographie: Allgemeines, Karten & Atlanten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

0.1 Preface  0.2 Foreword  1. Introduction AFRICA:  2. Waste Management Failures and Marginalisation of Waste Pickers in Africa – Regional Introduction 3. Uncontrolled Dumping and the Initiative of Women Waste Pickers: Cotonou, Benin 4. Zabbaleen Against Corporate Waste Management: El Cairo, Egypt 5. Incinerator Construction and Landfill Closures: Qalyubia, Egypt 6. The New Reppie Incinerator at Koshe Landfill: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 7. Koshe Landfill and Biogas Plant: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 8. Waste Pickers of Kpone Landfill Fight for Recognition: Accra, Ghana 9. Waste Pickers Face Repressive Treatment and Unsafe Working Conditions: Cape Coast, Ghana 10. Hazardous E-Waste Recycling in Agbogbloshie: Accra, Ghana 11. Trafigura's Toxic Waste Scandal and Closure of the Akouédo Dump: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire 12. Waste Pickers Face Harassment, Exclusion, and Toxic Work Conditions: Nakuru, Kenya 13. Waste-to-Energy Project: Kibera, Kenya 14. Relocation of Municipal Solid Waste and Informal Waste Management: Kisumu, Kenya 15. The Precarious Conditions of Informal Recyclers at the "City of Flies": Antananarivo, Madagascar 16. Disputes Over Waste Collection: Bamako, Mali 17. Landfill Mismanagement and Waste-Pickers’ Struggle: Casablanca, Morocco 18. The Hulene Dumpsite and Waste Picker Protests: Maputo, Mozambique 19. The Cleaner Lagos Initiative Threatens Waste-Picker Livelihoods: Lagos, Nigeria 20. Waste Pickers of Mbeubeuss Landfill Fight Against Exclusion: Dakar, Senegal 21. Poor Waste Management Threatens Public Health and the Environment: Freetown, Sierra Leone 22. Waste Pickers Against Privatisation: Tshwane, South Africa 23. New England Road Landfill and Construction of Materials Recovery Facility: Msunduzi, South Africa 24. Pikitup’s Separation-at-Source Program and Waste-Picker Protests: Johannesburg, South Africa 25. Averda’s Privatisation of the Genesis Landfill: Johannesburg, South Africa 26. Waste Pickers Struggle Post-Revolution: Tunisia 27. Poor Waste Management Leads to Environmental Degradation and Health Concerns: Kampala, Uganda 28. Waste Pickers Struggle for Access to Waste: Lusaka, Zambia MIDDLE EAST:  29. The Intersectional Violence and Human Right Abuse of Waste Pickers in the Middle East – Regional Introduction 30. Economic Woes, Plastic Packaging, and Child Waste Pickers in “Dirt Gold Mafia”: Tehran, Iran 31. International Co-operation Improves Waste-Picker Conditions: North-Eastern Jordan 32. Waste Pickers Struggle for Formal Incorporation into Legal Waste-Collecting Framework: Ankara, Turkey 33. Waste Picker Challenges and Opportunities: Istanbul, Turkey ASIA PACIFIC:  34. Waste Alliances. An Overview of Solid Waste Management Dynamics in the Asia Pacific Region – Regional Introduction 35. Amin Bazar Landfill Threatens Wetlands and Farmers: Dhaka, Bangladesh 36. Precarious Informal Waste Recycling: Dhaka, Bangladesh 37. Stung Meanchey Landfill and Waste-Pickers’ Struggle: Phnom Penh, Cambodia 38. Impact of Waste Management Initiatives and Waste Import Ban on Waste Pickers: China 39. Okhla Waste-to-Energy Plant: Delhi, India 40. Waste-to-Energy Plant and Ghazipur Landfill Closure Threaten Informal Recyclers’ Livelihoods: Delhi, India 41. Arson at Bengaluru's Dry-Waste Collection Centre: Karnataka State, India 42. Bantar Gebang Landfill: Jakarta, Indonesia 43. Protests Against Plan for Multiple Incinerators: Bandung, Indonesia 44. Waste Pickers Risk Losing Livelihood as Landfills Modernise: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 45. River Pollution and Waste-Pickers' Struggle for Recognition: Kathmandu, Nepal 46. Marginalised Informal Recycling and Waste-to-Energy: Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan 47. Exploitation of Child Waste Pickers: Karachi, Pakistan 48. Protesters Resist Planned Incinerators Despite National Ban: Quezon City, Philippines 49. Hazardous Garbage Dumping and New Waste-to-Energy Projects: Colombo, Sri Lanka 50. Incineration and Hazardous Informal Recycling: Hanoi, Vietnam LATIN AMERICA:  51. We Cannot Find Another Job! An Introduction for Latin America 52. Ban on Animal-Drawn Carts: Berazategui, Argentina 53. City Installs “Anti-Poor” Waste Containers Contrary to Waste-Picker Rights: Buenos Aires, Argentina 54. The State Company (CEAMSE) and Waste Management: Buenos Aires, Argentina 55. Aurá Dump and the Struggle of Belém's Informal Waste Pickers: Pará, Brazil 56. Waste Pickers Struggles and Water Contamination in Jardim Gramacho: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 57. Residents and Waste Pickers of Sarzedo Struggle Against Incinerators: Minas Gerais, Brazil 58. Incinerating Urban Solid Waste in Barueri: São Paulo, Brazil 59. Waste Pickers Mobilise Against the Carbonisation of Solid Waste: Rondônia, Brazil 60. Waste Pickers Fight Against Incinerator in Mauá: São Paulo, Brazil 61. Prohibition of Animal- and Human-Drawn Vehicles: Porto Alegre, Brazil 62. Waste Incineration in Curitiba: Paraná, Brazil 63. Waste Pickers Against Pollution and Public Policy: Federal District, Brazil 64. City Hall Hampers Activities of Waste Picker Cooperatives: São Paulo, Brazil 65. Waste Pickers Mobilisation Against Incinerator in São Bernardo do Campo: São Paulo, Brazil 66. Policy Change Puts Inclusive Waste Pickers’ Labour Practices at Risk: Bogota, Colombia 67. Waste Pickers Fight Exclusion at Eco-Park Rafey: Santiago, Dominican Republic 68. Waste Pickers Face Insecurity and Toxic Conditions at Zona 3 Dumpsite: Guate, Guatemala 69. Garbage Woes and Attempts to Include Waste Pickers: Georgetown, Guyana 70. Waste Pickers Fight for Formalisation and the Right to Work: Mérida, Mexico 71. Veolia Waste-to-Energy Incineration Plant: Mexico City, Mexico 72. The La Chureca Dumpsite Enclosure: Managua, Nicaragua 73. Waste Pickers Fight for Labour and Human Rights: Cerro Patacón, Panama 74. Waste Pickers Lose Access to Recyclable Waste from Closure of Dumpsite: Panama 75. Ban on Animal-Drawn Carts Jeopardises Waste-Picker Livelihoods: Montevideo, Uruguay 76. The Landfill of Cambalache: Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela 77. Afterword ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ANNEX 1. Resolution 5: On the Just Transition for the Right to Decent and Recognised Work, JT for International Campaign to Promote Integration in Waste Management and Strong Social Safety Net ANNEX 2. Constitution of the International Alliance of Waste Pickers.

Über Autor(innen)

Federico Demaria is an Associate Professor of ecological economics and political ecology at the University of Barcelona (Spain).

Daniele Vico is a researcher in political ecology and ecological economics at the University of Barcelona (Spain)

 Lucia Fernández Gabard is the director of Organization and Representation Programme at WIEGO (Women Informal Employment, Globalizing and Organizing).