This document was developed by Federico Parra (WIEGO) and Taylor Cass Talbott (IAWP).
The newly adopted International Labour Organization (ILO) Guidelines for the Promotion of Decent Work in Recycling represent a major milestone for waste pickers and recycling workers worldwide. Developed through negotiations between governments, employers, and workers’ representatives, the guidelines formally recognise recycling as real work and affirm that waste pickers are workers with rights.
For waste picker organisations, this is more than a technical document. The guidelines provide an important international framework to strengthen demands for social protection, fair income, safe working conditions, recognition of cooperatives, and meaningful participation in waste management systems. They also reinforce the principle that formalisation and circular economy policies must include waste pickers rather than displace them.
While the guidelines are not legally binding, they offer a powerful advocacy tool that organisations can use in dialogue with governments, municipalities, companies, and international institutions to push for more just and inclusive recycling systems.
Quotes of the Policy Guidelines for the Promotion of Decent Work in Recycling
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