Finding good jobs in waste management is still a major challenge, especially in cities where there is a high demand for employment.
A recent report by the International Labor Organisation (ILO) highlights the potential of the waste sector to provide substantial employment for city residents.
However, despite this potential, the industry continues to struggle with various challenges that undermine the quality of jobs available.
These challenges include high levels of informal employment, where workers lack legal protections, along with low wages and excessively long working hours.
The ILO report comes at a time when Kampala is reeling from a tragic incident at the Kitezi landfill, where a significant garbage disaster claimed the lives of several waste collectors, commonly referred to as Kawenja or scavengers.
This incident highlights the hazardous conditions that workers in the waste management industry endure.
Despite the often derogatory labels attached to these workers, the report points out that in several African countries, such as Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Lesotho, and Kenya, waste collection has become a significant source of employment for urban dwellers.
These countries have recognised the sector’s potential to create jobs, but the persistent deficits in decent work conditions remain a critical issue that needs to be addressed.
During discussions about the Kitezi disaster, an MP suggested that waste collectors should have been removed for safety reasons.
However, it turns out that if properly organised, waste management and recycling could be a major economic opportunity, creating jobs and boosting the economy.
This situation could serve as a valuable lesson for the Kampala Capital City Authority and other local governments struggling with garbage collection.
As populations and economies grow, so does the amount of waste generated—and the need for recycling.
In the European Union, for instance, recycling rates (excluding major mineral wastes) increased from 42% in 2010 to 46% in 2020.
The recent expansion of the recycling industry has been fueled by greater public awareness, higher demand for recycled materials, and strong commitments from both public policies and corporations.
Recycling has long been a way to recover value from what would otherwise be waste, offering a livelihood to many, particularly in developing countries where opportunities for a decent life and work are limited.
The waste management and recycling industry involves businesses and organisations that collect, process, and recycle materials like glass, plastic, paper, metal, and electronics.
As one of the world’s first green industries, it not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves energy, and protects natural resources but also creates jobs and supports local economies.
In this blog, we will explore the key aspects of employment within the waste management and recycling sector.
A Small but Growing Workforce:
The waste management and recycling industry is steadily employing more people, with an estimated 6.9 million workers globally.
This represents just 0.2% of total global employment, though this figure might be underestimated due to limited data.
From 2014 to 2023, employment in this industry has risen in 55 out of 71 countries where data is available.
While the industry contributes significantly to environmental sustainability, it also exposes workers to serious health risks.
Workers often encounter hazardous conditions, including exposure to toxic chemicals, biological agents, and physical dangers from handling dangerous materials and operating heavy machinery.
These risks are especially pronounced in developing countries, where safety regulations are often weaker or poorly enforced, making workers more susceptible to injuries, respiratory problems, and long-term health issues.
This stark contrast between the industry’s role in promoting a greener economy and the unsafe conditions workers face underscores the need for stronger protections, particularly in regions with less robust regulatory frameworks.
Regional Disparities:
Around the world, about 85 people per 100,000 are employed in the waste management and recycling industry.
However, there are significant regional differences. Europe and Central Asia have the highest employment rate in this sector, with 174 workers per 100,000 people, while Africa has the lowest, with fewer than 30 workers per 100,000.
Employment in this industry tends to be higher in more developed regions, where recycling is more widespread due to higher recycling rates and greater demand for recycled materials.
In many low-income countries, however, this type of work is likely much more common, but it is often not well captured in official data.
A Male-Dominated Industry:
The waste management and recycling sector is largely male-dominated, with women making up only 22.7% of the workforce.
Interestingly, despite Africa’s lower overall employment rates in this industry, women in Africa represent a relatively higher proportion of the workforce compared to other regions, at 29.5%.
This may be due to limited job opportunities for women and a lack of social protection, pushing them to take on undesirable or low-paid jobs in recycling that often involve hazardous working conditions.
Higher Rates of Informality
In developing countries, a large proportion of workers in the waste management and recycling industry are employed informally, often without basic protections or employment benefits.
In half of the 49 developing countries with available data, workers in this sector are more likely to be in informal employment compared to those in other industries.
Going the Extra Hour:
Workers in the waste management and recycling industry tend to work longer hours than those in other sectors.
Across different countries, their average weekly working hours range from 23 to 57 hours, often exceeding the 50-hour maximum observed in other industries.
These extended hours limit workers’ ability to engage in personal development, household responsibilities, family time, leisure, and recreation, and can also negatively impact their health and safety, increasing the risk of injuries.
In 18 out of 53 countries with available data, about one-third of workers in this industry work more than 48 hours per week, a threshold that defines excessive working hours.
In many of these countries, the rate of excessive working hours is higher in this industry than in others.
For example, in India and Rwanda, over 70% of workers in the waste management sector work excessively long hours, pointing to a significant deficit in decent work conditions.
Lower Levels of Education
Workers in the waste management and recycling industry tend to have lower levels of education compared to those in other industries.
Many workers in this sector have only basic or less-than-basic education, which may reflect that, for some, recycling is the only industry where they can find employment due to their socio-economic situation, discrimination, or lack of legal rights to work.
Conversely, workers in this industry are less likely to have advanced education. In 65 out of 66 countries with available data, the proportion of workers with advanced education is lower in this sector than in others.
On average, across all industries, 24.8% of workers have advanced education, but in the waste management and recycling industry, this figure drops to just 9.5%.
Given this educational profile, it’s essential to provide better access to education and training programs to address skills gaps and promote qualifications and skills recognition, including basic literacy and numeracy where needed.
Lower Wages
Wage data from 29 countries show that employees in the waste management and recycling industry typically earn much less than those in other sectors.
In half of these countries, workers in this industry earn between 36% and 75% less than the average earnings of all employees.
This wage disparity highlights the need for better compensation and improved working conditions for those employed in this critical yet underappreciated industry.
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