Finding Wealth in Waste: The Changing Role of

Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management

Bishwodev Bhattarai (06!MS"!#0$%& Ree'a (achheth) (06!MS"!#*#%& Sharada +o)del 06!MS"!#*$%&
S)nil Sha,-a (06!MS"!#*.%
Department of Urban Planning, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuwan University
Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
devbishwo@gmail.com
reeja.hac@gmail.com
smile_sharada@yahoo.com
snl.shky25@gmail.com
Abstract
Informal Waste Workers in Kathmandu, have been immensely contributing to waste
management. Informal waste pickers contribute significantly to waste management and
resource efficiency by collecting, sorting, trading and sometimes even processing waste
materials. These kind of activities provide income opportunity for large numbers of people with
low income. The paper studies how informal sector has redefined solid waste management as
business opportunity. All informal valorisation activities along the entire value chain are
profitable. Informal valorisation businesses only extract, process, and sell those materials that
have a high intrinsic value and on which they can make a profit. Informal waste workers are
not much attracted towards regular work as they dont want to work for others !"oss of his
own#$ which is the ma%or reason for informal sector not going towards the formal sector.
Keywords & Informal Waste workers, entrepreneurship, solid waste management
I/ I0TR12"CTI10
3s a develo4ing co)ntr-& 0e4al has man- iss)es to deal with/
1ne of the ma'or iss)e is solid waste management/ There is no
4ro4er infrastr)ct)re and organi5ation s-stem for waste
management/ Solid waste management has 6een ,e4t a low
4riorit- mainl- 6eca)se the demand is higher for other 4)6lic
services in man- m)nici4alities in 0e4al/ In the ca4ital cit- as
well& there is no management at all 6)t a lot of waste
generation is ca)sing a lot of environment 4oll)tion/
7athmand) 8alle- generates a44ro9imatel- $:; tons of solid
waste dail-/ The cost of waste management e9ceeds Rs/
*<0&000 4er da- for 7athmand) and still #0=:0> of the waste
is not collected/
Informal Waste Wor,ers in 7athmand)& have 6een immensel-
contri6)ting to waste management/ If there were no informal
sector& it wo)ld have 6een ver- hard to manage as there is a
lot of generation of Solid waste in 7athmand)/ Some decades
ago& the waste content was mostl- organic and it was locall-
dis4osed as it was eas- and co)ld 6e )sed as man)re in the
agric)lt)ral land/ B)t now a da-s& moderni5ation has ,ic,ed in
and the waste content has 6een changing and more inorganic
waste is generated which is hard to dis4ose/ 3s )r6ani5ation is
ra4idl- growing& the solid waste has to 6e dis4osed far awa-
from the cit- which is ver- inefficient/ The dis4ose site is ver-
far so trans4ortation cost is ver- high/ Informal waste wor,ers
have 6een hel4ing a lot in the field of solid waste management
as the- have red)ced the content of waste/
36o)t $ decades ago& there was no solid waste management in
0e4al/ ?ater on @TA s)44orted for the solid waste
management 6- 4roviding 6ig containers in different 4art of
7athmand) for collecting the waste and Te,) Transfer station
was esta6lished/ The m)nici4alit- 4rovided collection wor,ers
who segregated the waste and sorted rec-cling waste and
organic waste/ The remains were ta,en for landfilling/ 3fter
*0Bs revol)tion& vario)s Trade "nions formed and different
4rotest 6egan which res)lted the sh)tdown of the entire
4rocess of collection and segregation and the waste wor,ers
no longer wor,ed at Te,)/ 3fter that& the management was
hard to handle as a lot of m)nici4alit- 6)dget were s4ent in
solid waste management/ The- collected the waste as the-
)sed to 6)t the- directl- too, the waste witho)t segregation to
the landfill site and d)m4ed it which ca)sed more 6)dget for
managing/ ItBs alread- 6een more than *; -ears doing this/
B)t now a da-s the m)nici4alit- has engaged 0@1s and
different 4rivate sectors for managing the solid waste all over
the valle-/ The 0@1s then engage informal waste wor,ers
and the- collect waste from ho)seholds and in 6etween the-
segregate and ta,e what the- want and then ta,e the remaining
to the landfill site or the transfer station/ Te,) transfer station
ta,es Rs/ *<00 4er tr)c, of waste to d)m4 in the landfill site/
This 4a4er e9amines the 4rocess of how informal sector has
redefined solid waste management as 6)siness o44ort)nit-/
The C)estion of interest are as follows: first& the reason of
informal sector getting attracted towards solid waste
managementD second& how the- are )sing the solid waste
management 4rocess as their income so)rceD and third&
whether the- are interested in formali5ing their wor,/
The 4a4er is str)ct)red as follows/ The ne9t section 4rovides
information a6o)t com4osition and solid waste management
in 7athmand) 8alle-D from collection to dis4osal& role of
informal sector in solid waste management& different
categories of informal sector and 4olicies related to solid
waste management/ Section III descri6es a6o)t the
entre4rene)rshi4& net 4rofit& informal valorisation activities&
and driving changes on growing concern a6o)t ha5ards of
waste dis4osal& environmental concerns and economic
o44ort)nities for local economic develo4ment/ It also tal,s
a6o)t 6arriers to convert from informal sector to formal sector
in the field of waste management/ Section I8 descri6es the
methods )sed and limitation of the st)d-/ Section 8 anal-ses
how informal sector has redefined solid waste management as
6)siness o44ort)nit- and whether the- are interested in
formali5ing their wor,/ Concl)sion remar,s are given in
Section 8I/
II/ S1?I2 W3STE M303@EME0T 302 I0F1RM3?
W3STE W1R7ER
3/ oli! "aste #anagement
Solid waste was not s)ch a 6ig 4ro6lem in the old da-s in the
7athmand) 8alle-/ +eo4le in the 7athmand) 8alle- had their
own method to getting rid of the ho)sehold waste& incl)ding a
,ind of circ)lation of organic waste 6etween cit- area and
r)ral areas near6-/ In line with increasing 4o4)lation in the
8alle- and changing life st-le and cons)m4tion ha6its& SWM
is coming to 6e recogni5ed as one of ma'or environmental
iss)es in the 7athmand) 8alle-/
The cons)m4tion 4atterns and living standards of the )r6an
dwellers of 7athmand) 8alle- have 6een chaning grad)all-
over the -ears/ 3vaila6ilit- and )se of modern facilities and
changes in lifest-le!cons)m4tion 4atterns have contri6)ted to
4rod)cing more waste and changing the com4osition of waste&
e/g/& 4lastics in solid waste and detergents!chemicals in
wastewater/ Com4osition of m)nici4al waste changes over
time as cons)m4tion 4atterns change/ 8ario)s st)dies carried
o)t since *.6 indicate that aro)nd two=thirds of the
m)nici4al solid waste generated in 7athmand) Metro4olitan
Cit- is organic: this has remained relativel- )nchanged over
the -ears/ The amo)nts of 4lastic& 4a4er& metal& and te9tiles in
m)nici4al solid waste have changed significantl-/
So)rce: 7MC 1ffice (SWM Section%

Rec-cla6le material collected and re)sed in the 7athmand)
8alle- 6efore *.0s were 6asicall- old and lea,ing co44er
and 6rass )tensils/ There werenBt an- other rec-cla6le
4rod)cts collected and rec-cled/ 16vio)sl-& there werenBt an-
4lastic 4rod)cts in )se/ +a4ers were re)sed 6- sho4,ee4ers for
ma,ing 4a4er 4o)ch (Fth)ngaB% to sell groceries/ +eo4le )sed
to carr- cloth 6ags along with them while going to mar,et/
3fter the *.0s& Indians from the neigh6o)ring Bihar State of
India came to the 8alle- for collecting rec-cla6le waste& i/e
4a4ers and 6ottles& mainl- 6eer 6ottles/ 0e4alese 4eo4le
loo,ed at this occ)4ation as sociall- low level and dirt-
)nto)cha6le wor,/ Thereafter& 0e4alese 6eg)n to enter into
this occ)4ation in the form of 6)-ing& re4airing and reselling
old a)tomo6iles/ Slowl-& after late *<0s& 0e4alese started to
6id for official C)otations of 6)-ing rec-cla6le materials& s)ch
as large iron scra4s from 4ower 4lants and other 4ro'ects/ The
occ)4ation grew when 4eo4le reali5e that there is more mone-
in waste after esta6lishment of 6reweries and later& 4lastic
ind)stries/ This res)lted in growth of Informal Waste
Wor,ers/
B/ Informal "aste "orker $I""%
0ow it has 6een reali5ed that waste management s-stems in
the cities of 7athmand) 8alle- co)ld not 6e managed witho)t
the informal sector: waste 4ic,ers& scra4 collectors& traders
and rec-clers/ The informal recover- of rec-cla6les from the
solid waste s-stem red)ces overall solid waste management
costs for m)nici4alities/ The International ?a6or 1rgani5ation
(I?1% defines informal sector waste wor,ers as individ)als or
small and micro=enter4rises that intervene in waste
management witho)t 6eing registered and witho)t 6eing
formall- charged with 4roviding waste management services/
This sector is often not officiall- recogni5ed and
ac,nowledged& -et its mem6ers contri6)te significantl- to the
waste management of 7athmand) valle-& 6- collecting&
sorting& 4rocessing& storing and trading waste materials in the
rec-cling val)e chain/ "r6ani5ation in 0e4al is increasing at
an alarming rate& from :=*.> in the last ; decades/ 2)e to the
lac, of a44ro4riate em4lo-ment o44ort)nities& a large n)m6er
of wor,ers in the informal econom- are engaged in waste=
related wor,/In 7athmand) 8alle-& there are *;&000 waste
4ic,ers and .00=<00 7a6adis i/e/ waste!scra4 dealers (ource&
potlight News #aga'ine Issue Name & (ol& )* No+ ,-- #ay+
.), -)./% are wor,ing as informal waste wor,ers managing
the waste generated& 4roviding financial and environmental
6enefits to m)nici4alities/ Informal waste wor,ers (IWWs%
6elong to the 4oorest of 0e4ali societ- and v)lnera6le gro)4:
the migrants coming o)tside the valle- and from India& the
)nem4lo-ed& the disa6led& women& children& the elderl-/ The-
are living in the tem4orar- sl)m along Bagmati corridor of
7athmand) and ?alit4)r& some are also renting in 3san area
sharing one room 6- $=; waste wor,ers/ The- have no social
and economic sec)rit- and wor, )nder s)6standard and
)nhealth- wor, conditions and have limited access to 6asic
services
In 7athmand) 8alle-& the informal rec-cling sector is
str)ct)red li,e a 4-ramid/ 3t the 6ottom of the waste trade
4-ramid are the door to door collectors who engage in
collection from ho)sehold/ 36ove them are waste 4ic,ers!
Scavenger who engage in the free collection of waste from
m)nici4al gar6age 6ins& streets and d)m4s/ 36ove them are
scra4 6)-er (Feria% collector who 4)rchase small C)antities of
waste (4lastic& 4a4er& glass& metals& etc/% from ho)seholds/
Man- ho)seholds also sell their rec-cla6le waste to itinerant
6)-ers in street sho4s/ Between the waste collectors and the
re=4rocessors are vario)s levels of traders& incl)ding retailers&
stoc,iest and wholesalers& man- of whom are not registered as
6)sinesses/ The- sorted the waste& 6aled& cr)shed or
gran)lated the waste/ The trade gets more s4eciali5ed as it
moves )4 the 4-ramid/ 3t ever- s)ccessive level& waste is
sorted more s4ecificall- red)cing the vol)meD the finer the
segregation& the more val)e is added/
The waste 4ic,ing 4rofession is des4ised 6- the rest of
societ-& des4ite its contri6)tion to removing and rec-cling
large C)antities of waste/ Waste wor,ers are often e94loited
sociall- and economicall-/ 0one of the c)rrent 4olicies or
4lans incl)des social 4rotection 4rovisions which co)ld hel4
im4rove the sit)ation& and raise the stat)s of the 4rofession/
3ltho)gh these wor,ers 4la- a vital role in dealing with the
waste generated in the 8alle-& the 4rofession is considered
shamef)l and degrading& and its contri6)tion is )nrecogni5ed
6- societ- as well as local and state a)thorities/ B)t now the-
are regarded as a )sef)l 4art of the waste management s-stem
and are given the o44ort)nit- to enhance their livelihood/
With the im4lementation of +overt- Red)ction of Informal
Wor,ers in Solid Waste Management (+RISM%& which is a
model 4rogram targeted to s)44ort informal waste wor,er in
7athmand) 8alle- is ma,ing informal solid wor,ers
organi5ed and mechani5ed// Collecting wastes thro)gh na,ed
hands and living on the 4iles of waste along the rivers li,e
Bagmati is grad)all- changing/ Instead of collecting the solid
waste 6- na,ed hands& the- have started )sing gloves and
other 4rotective eC)i4ment to collect the gar6age/ Similarl-&
the esta6lishment of coo4erative in coordination with +RISM
has hel4ed them to develo4 the ha6it of saving and lending/
0ow man- waste wor,ers are sending their children to
schools/ GBehavior Change Cam4aignG has generated res4ect
towards informal waste wor,ers (IWWBs% and increase the
level of social awareness a6o)t their often neglected
contri6)tion in the waste management sector/ The cam4aign
also ma,es the Informal waste wor,er aware a6o)t the five
RBs: Red)ce& Re)se& Rec-cle& Res4ect (for waste wor,ers% and
Recover/
C/ 0ct an! Policies
Managing solid waste is one of the ma'or challenges in
7athmand) 8alle-/ 3ltho)gh @overnment of 0e4al has tried
to tac,le the 4ro6lem thro)gh vario)s means and methodolog-
either thro)gh laws& reg)lation& 4olicies& it enacted the Solid
Waste Management 3ct of #0** effective from *; H)ne #0**
while the o6'ectives of the act incl)des maintaining a clean
and health- environment 6- minimi5ing the adverse effects of
solid waste on 4)6lic health and the environment/ The local
6odies& s)ch as m)nici4alities& have 6een made res4onsi6le for
the constr)ction& o4eration& and management of infrastr)ct)re
for collection& treatment& and final dis4osal of MSW/ The act
mandates local 6odies to ta,e the necessar- ste4s to 4romote
red)ce& re)se& and rec-cle (:R%& incl)ding segregation of
MSW at so)rce/ It also 4rovides for the involvement of the
4rivate sector& comm)nit-=6ased organi5ations (CB1s%& and
nongovernment organi5ations (0@1s% in SWM thro)gh
com4etitive 6idding/ +roced)res for 6idding& selection of the
s)ccessf)l 6idder& and a)thorit- of the 6idder in collecting
ti44ing fees (tariffs% against SWM services are 4rovided/ In
addition& the act a)thori5es the im4osition and collection of
service fees against SWM services& and 4rescri6es the 6asis
for fi9ing s)ch fees and 4roced)res for their collection and
)sage/ It also a)thori5es the local 6odies to form)late r)les&
6-=laws& and g)idelines& with the a44roval of the m)nici4al
6oard/ 3s 4rovisioned in the act& the SWM Technical S)44ort
Center (SWMTSC% )nder the Ministr- of "r6an 2evelo4ment
shall 4rovide technical s)44ort to all local 6odies for effective
and s)staina6le SWM and advance research and develo4ment
in this sector and it also has form)lated new laws #06<
regarding this iss)e/
The 4olic- incl)des s)staina6le and effective waste
management& segregation and re)se of waste& st)d-& research
and )se of technologies& collecting fine from 4oll)ters& and
self=de4endence on waste management/ 3ccording to the
Ministr- of )r6an 2evelo4ment& the reg)lations& man)als and
g)idelines and 4olicies foc)s on waste management/
3mong the man- government 6odies and legal instit)tions to
tac,le waste=related iss)es in the co)ntr- are Solid Waste
Management Board (*<*%&Solid Waste Management and
Reso)rce Mo6ili5ation Centre (*<.%& Solid Waste
Management +olic- (*6%& Self=@overnance 3ct (*<% /
3mong the acts and 4olicies 4ertaining to SWM& the #0**
Solid Waste Management 3ct and the *6 0ational +olic-
on SWM are 4artic)larl- relevant/ 0ational +olic- on SWM
was form)lated in *6 to address the emerging SWM
4ro6lems d)e to )r6ani5ation/ The 4olic- em4hasi5es waste
management in m)nici4al and )r6an areas and is still in force/
Its main o6'ectives are to
ma,e SWM sim4le and effective&
minimi5e the im4act of solid waste on the
environment and 4)6lic health&
treat solid waste as a reso)rce&
incl)de 4rivate sector 4artici4ation& and
Im4rove 4)6lic 4artici4ation 6- increasing 4)6lic
awareness a6o)t sanitation/
'ome of (olicies and acts worked for 'W) are*
*/ +olic- & legislation and standards S)staina6le
2evelo4ment 3genda for 0e4al (S230% #00:
#/ Tenth Five=-ear +lan (#00#=#00.%
:/ 0ational Solid Waste Management +olic- *6
$/ The Town 2evelo4ment 3ct/ *<<
;/ The 0e4al Environment +olic- 3nd 3ction +lan&
*:
6/ Ind)strial 2evelo4ment +ers4ective +lan
./ Solid Waste Management and Reso)rce
Mo6ili5ation 3ct ! R)les *<.
</ Solid Waste Management 3ct& #0** 4re4ared
6- M?2!SWMTSC and F32B T3 .;.=
0E+3?: C3+3CITI B"I?2I0@ F1R
W3STEM303@EME0TB/ Its o6'ective is to
hel4 the M?2& SWMTSC& and the T3 4ro'ect
cons)ltants
There are a lot of 4olicies for managing the solid waste
6)t there are no 4olicies regarding informal waste
wor,ers even tho)gh the- have ma'or role in managing
the solid waste/ Some of the 0@1s are 4re4aring draft
4olicies for them 6)t there is no involvement of government in
it which needs to 6e considered/
2/ 1ase stu!y
.+ 1ase of In!ia
Cit- MT!2a- 0o/ Rag 4ic,ers
2elhi .&000 *&00&000
M)m6ai <&000 <&;00
Bangalore #&000 :;&000
3mong the waste 4rod)ced from the cit-& onl- :0=60> waste
is collected 6- "r6an ?ocal Bodies/ It is estimated that Waste
Collection 6- Informal Sector is *;=#0>/ 1ne million )r6an
4oor in informal waste management sector as there is wealth
in waste/ 3mong different wor,ers wor,ing in SWM Rag=
4ic,ers are the 6ottom r)ng/ MSW R)les #000J SWM
initiatives sideline informal sector in waste management/
3mritsar Cit-& it generates ;00 tons!da- and onl- a6o)t ;0=
60> waste is collected/ The informal sector is more active
com4are to formal sector/ The informal sectors are free from
the act and limitations where the formal sector has man-
iss)es on the collection relating to so)rce segregation not
4racticed& inadeC)ate trans4ortation 4rocess& d)m4ing site
e9ha)sted& no arrangement for 4rimar- collection from
residential!commercial areas& etc/
The informal sector has occ)4ied all the rec-cling and waste
collection from the )r6an areas/ Involvement in the rec-cling
and solid waste management& informal sector has created
environmental 6enefits for the m)nici4al a)thorities/
The 4ossi6ilit- for Integrated Solid waste management is
4racticed& targeting waste red)ction and 4overt- red)ction
thro)gh Integrated Solid waste management/ The informal
waste s-stem is central to an- SWM 4olic- of the cit-/
Registration of waste 4ic,ers (other than children%& this has
made their wor, sec)rit- in the SW collection along with the
health facilit-& and other fac)lties/ So)rce segregation to 6e
overseen and made mandator- 6- MC3 Sanitar- Ins4ectors in
their divisions/
The cit- has created low cost waste management s-stem:
Minimi5e investment on 4ersonnel J eC)i4ment
Creation of 'o6sJ 4overt- red)ction/
Red)ce 6)l, dis4osal/
Effective recover- of rec-cla6les/
@enerating income from waste/
Red)ction of ris, to ()man (ealth J Environment/
Economicall- via6le& sociall- desira6le J
environmentall- cond)cive/
-+ 1ase of Egypt
Eg-4t has the worldBs most well=esta6lished and ro6)st
informal rec-cling s-stems/ There are a lot of informal waste
wor,ers in Eg-4t who are thriving economicall- and
e9tending across the entire co)ntr-/ The waste collectors sort
and rec-cle aro)nd <0=<;> of waste the- collect which is 60=
.0> of the waste generated/ There is a formation of a
diversified networ, of collecting and rec-cling activities/
Besides the waste collectors& roamers 6)-& trade and e9change
rec-cla6le waste items as well/ In this informal waste s-stem
intermediar- 6)-ers and wholesale merchants are also
involved/ B- this& trading and man)fact)ring networ,s have
also grown to cover the whole co)ntr-/ The ind)str- has
s4awned its own dealers& its own centres of 4rod)ction and
rec-cling& and its own 6)siness c)lt)re of credit& trade and
finance/ 3fter the 4rivati5ation of waste collection and
dis4osal& international and local 4rivate enter4rises 6ecame
res4onsi6le for the collection& rec-cling and dis4osal of waste
and the waste wor,ers lost access to their main so)rce of
income/ +rivate enter4rise attem4ts to engage informal sector
wor,ers as waste collectors in com4anies have not 6een ver-
s)ccessf)l 6eca)se the ma'orit- of wor,ers leave after a short
time and it seems as if the 4rivati5ation of waste collection
services has hindered informal sector integration in waste
management in Eg-4t/
In Cairo& the largest gro)4 of informal wor,ers are informal
waste collectors (2abbaleen%/ The- cover .*> of the informal
sector occ)4ations/ 2ifferent 0@1s and civil societ-
organisations are tr-ing to 4romote the informal sector and
maintain o4en channels of comm)nication 6etween the
informal waste wor,ers and formal sta,eholders/
Total n)m6er of livelihoods in informal waste sector in Cairo
is ::&000 and total em4lo-ment in the formal waste sector is
<<:$/ The informal waste sector 4rovides fo)r times as man-
more livelihoods than the formal waste sector/
III/ ?ITER3T"RE RE8IEW
Literature 3eview
With the ra4id 4ace of )r6ani5ation in 0e4al& M)nici4alities
and formal service 4roviders is a6le to 4rovide collection
service to all ho)seholds& nor g)arantee an effective rec-cling
and an environmentall- so)nd treatment or dis4osal of wastes/
In this case the informal sector has contri6)ted significantl- to
the waste management/ The informal sector activities are now
highl- ada4ta6le& fle9i6le and a6le to res4ond C)ic,l- to
demand=driven forces/
Informal sector has 6een s)ccess in creating new o44ort)nities
for local economic develo4ment that foc)s on waste as
4rod)ctive reso)rce create virt)o)s economic c-cles 6-
feeding reso)rces 6ac, into the local econom-& even where it
is lin,ed to international mar,ets& for e9am4le in rec-cled
4a4er or al)min)m/
In concern to find the wealth from the waste& man- 4eo4le are
directl- or indirectl- concern with the em4lo-ment generated
in the 4rocess of Solid Waste Management/ 3 st)d-
cond)cted 6- W3STE& @TA& S,at& and 4artners from
develo4ing co)ntries has shown that most informal waste
management o4erations achieve a net 6enefit/ Beca)se& it is
also d)e to the fact that the informal sector is oriented on the
4rod)ctive )se of waste materials in order to 6e self=financing/
The economic effects from the solid waste management& it has
created social and environmental dividends that contri6)te to
C)alit- of life and health- comm)nities/ B)t there C)alities&
des4ite 6eing 4olic- goals for governments across the world&
are rarel- fig)red into economic 4lanning or environmental
reg)lation/
Creating wealth from waste& the informal sectors are s)ccess
in involving the cons)mers and ho)se holders as active
4artici4ants in the s-stem/ B- engaging in rec-cling
activities& the informal sector also creates environmental
6enefits hel4ing waste to reach rec-cling targets and save
4recio)s landfill s4ace/ It also red)ces the e9traction of raw
materials and ret)rns secondar- raw materials to the
4rod)ction c-cle& res)lting in less energ- 6eing )sed for
rec-cling 4rocesses than for 4rod)ction 4rocesses with
4rimar- raw materials/
3ll informal valori5ation activities along the entire val)e
chain are 4rofita6le/ Informal valori5ation 6)sinesses onl-
e9tract& 4rocess& and sell those materials that have a high
intrinsic val)e and on which the- can ma,e a 4rofit/ 3ltho)gh
o4erational costs are often higher than in the formal sector& the
high reven)es from materials res)lt in a m)ch lower cost/
There is now e9tensive e94erience of informal sector (related
to waste management% organi5ing and esta6lishing formal
relationshi4s with m)nici4al and national governments/ This
transformation 4resents new choices and o44ort)nities& and
4rovides lessons and 4ointers for ind)strial& social and
environmental 4olic- in the new 4ost=ind)strial landsca4e/
The drivers of a change are:
@rowing concern a6o)t the ha5ards of waste dis4osal
Broader environmental concerns& es4eciall- glo6al warming
and reso)rce de4letion
Economic o44ort)nities created 6- new waste reg)lations and
technological innovation/
Development of Entrepreneurship
The 4ioneering efforts of entre4rene)rs have contri6)ted in
the economic develo4ment of the nation/ The informal sector
is s)ccess in develo4ing the entre4rene)rshi4 with the
M)nici4al @overnment& 01@s and other organi5ations/
The 4rivate entre4rene)rs have 6een act)all- 4la-ing
dominate role in all sectors of the econom-/ The government&
ca4italist s-stem is controlling all economic activities and
4erforms entre4rene)rial role in most sectors incl)ding
informal sectors/ The 6rief e9amines on the informal sectors
involving in solid waste on 7athmand)& im4ediments to s,ills
)4grading in the informal econom-: ranging from lac, of
4olic- coherence at informal sector and wor,ers wor,ing on
it& instit)tional wea,nesses in training 4roviders at the micro
level (develo4ment of s,ill in waste management%/ These
highlights a range of 4olic- innovations o4ened )4 to entr-
4oints for integration with the mainstream econom-/ These
incl)de strengthening the ca4acit- of e9isting service
4roviders to reach the informal econom-D recogni5ing s,ills
gained in the informal econom-D 4olic- coherence 6etween
h)man reso)rce 4olicies and other macro=4olicies to ens)re
6etter alignment of s)44l- and demandD as well as im4roving
the C)alit-& deliver- and relevance of s,ills to meet the needs
of those c)rrentl- in the informal econom-/
S,ills training and informalit-
Wea, 4olic- coherence with h)man reso)rce 4olicies
Wea,ness in e9isting 4rovidersB ca4acit- to address the needs
of the informal econom-
K 0@1s
K +rivate Sector Training 4roviders
K Informal 344renticeshi4 s-stems
The mismatch 6etween s)44l- and demand: the relevance of
training
?ac, of access to training
Ina44ro4riate training deliver-
E9cl)sion of v)lnera6le gro)4s of women
?ac, of recognition of s,ills in the informal econom-
The )4grading s,ills offer immediate 6enefits to wor,ers and
entre4rene)rs in the informal econom- while also s)44orts
medi)m term strategies for moving o)t of informalit-/
0eglecting the large sections of the 4o4)lation wor,ing in
sit)ations of informalit- is neglected tho)gh& the most of the
economic activities is covered 6- the informal sector& the
training are often oriented to the formal econom-/ 3 variet-
of financial and non=financial 6arriers im4ede access to s,ills
develo4ment for those in the informal econom-/ S,ills
training can 6e 4art of a 6roader 4ac,age of incentives to
s)44ort the move o)t informalit-
The entre4rene)rial ca4acities of informal sector wor,ers and
organi5ations are an im4ortant factor in the s)staina6ilit- of
informal sector intervention/ 3ctivities s)44orting informal
sector integration incl)de facilitating credit& s,ills
develo4ment and im4rovements in managerial ,now=how and
mar,eting to enhance the com4etitiveness of la6or=intensive
small=scale activities/
The case of +hili44ines& @TA and the cit- co)ncil of Iloilo
s)44orted a gro)4 of former waste 4ic,ers at the dis4osal site
to organi5e and manage a sorting center at the d)m4site to sort
o)t rec-cla6les/ The wor,ers& )nder s)4ervision form a
m)nici4al engineer& now arrive at o4erating a sorting center
with mechani5ed eC)i4ment li,e conve-or 6elts& dr)m sieve
etc/ The gro)4 has elected leaders that s)4ervise the team
wor, within the coo4erative/ The gro)4 also initiated new
activities li,e com4osting and sorting o)t alternative f)el
reso)rces for co=4rocessing in cement 4lants/ B)t in order to
cond)ct these new activities com4letel- witho)t s)44ort from
the m)nici4al a)thorities& additional trainings on financial
management& mar,eting etc/ seemed necessar- and have
recentl- 6een 4rovided to gro)4 mem6ers/
I8/ MET(12S
Involvement of Informal Waste Wor,er (IWW% in Solid
Waste Management of 7athmand) valle- has 6ecome a wa-
of waste management/ "nli,e other develo4ed world& 0e4al
and man- other develo4ing co)ntries have ado4ted the same
wa- of waste management/ In most of the co)ntries incl)ding
0e4al& IWW have started forming organi5ation and networ,s
for their 4rofessional safet- and sec)rit- L6M/ The st)d- was
cond)cted how IWW are f)nctioning in 7athmand) 8alle-
and how the- are wor,ing to ens)re their 4rofessional and
organi5ational safet-/ There are more than *;000 IWW within
7athmand) 8alle- LM and there is significant contri6)tion of
IWW in "r6an Waste Management/ Basicall-& the- are
ma,ing mone- o)t of waste and at once managing waste of
)r6an area/
To find how act)all- IWWBs involvement in SWM and their
roles& f)nctions& social 6ehaviors& 4ro6lems and o44ort)nities
were st)died and we ado4ted mi9ed method for this/ +RISM
(+overt- Red)ction of Informal Wor,er in Solid Waste
Management% 4ro'ect was also st)died to find o)t the
f)nctioning of IWW in SWM and economics of Waste/
Interview with 2oor to 2oor (2=t=2% waste collector& Feria
(7awadi%& Scra4 1wner (7awadi 1wner% and 1fficial of
IWWBs Co=o4erative was cond)cted to find o)t how the- are
wor,ing& how the- are wor,ing& where the- are from and
where the- live& where the- wor,& how is their economic and
social stat)s& change in their livelihood/ 3lso& we tried to find
o)t their own wa- of loo,ing towards this 4rofession and 'o6
satisfaction/
There is different level of IWW and st)d- of each level is
essential to )nderstand their res4ective role in SWM and
informal econom-/ Interview with 2=t=2 collector was made
d)ring morning time as their wor,ing time is from 6am =**
am whereas interview with waste 4ic,ers& feria& scra4 owner
and co=o4erative official was done d)ring da- time/ 0o
C)estionnaire was 4re4ared and interviews were recorded for
convenience/ Site visit and interviews were facilitated 6-
+RISM +ro'ect and sam4les were identified IWW of +RISM
4ro'ect who were also 6eneficiaries of +RISM +ro'ect/ It was
convenient for st)d- team to interview with them 6eca)se
)n,nown IWW were s)44osed to ignore o)r res4onse/ The
+ro'ect had hel4ed to change stat)s of IWW in vario)s wa-s
so& we co)ld easil- trace what we were loo,ing for/
3/ Limitations
Sam4le si5e collected in ver- less in com4ared to total
identified waste wor,er in the 8alle-/ 1)t of total identified
.60. waste wor,ers& interviews were cond)cted with onl- <
4eo4le of different categor- to s,etch verification of +RISM
+ro'ect st)d- and to )nderstand act)al condition of informal
wor,ers/ 0o assessment for income& wor, satisfaction and
livelihood change was 4erformed 6)t general st)d- cond)cted
is s)44osed to re4resent condition of IWW/ The st)d- doesnBt
tend to find contri6)tion of IWW in overall informal econom-
and share of informal waste mar,et in total informal mar,et/
3ltho)gh there is significant n)m6er of IWW in the valle-&
4ercentage share of total informal sector& contri6)tion of IWW
in informal econom- and s4atial dimension of IWW needs
f)rther st)d-/
8/ FI02I0@S
Based on o)r general o6servation J interviews d)ring field
st)d-& literat)re J case st)dies and +rism +ro'ect st)d-& we
have collected different facts and fig)res/ The st)d- aimed to
find how the role of IWW is 6eing changed in d)e co)rse of
time and involvement of informal Wor,ers in SWM of the
7athmand) 8alle-/ There are vario)s categor- of waste
wor,er and waste 6ased wor, is main occ)4ation to s)stain
their livelihood/ The 4o4)lar 4hrase FFohor lai Mohor Bana)B
(Ma,ing Mone- o)t of Waste% is 4racticall- im4lemented 6-
these IWW/ Findings of o)r st)d- are listed categoricall- in
following s)6=heading&
3/ 4ierarchy of I""
There is ; categor- of IWW& 2oor=to=2oor Collector& Waste
+ic,er! Scavengers& Feria& Waste Segregator and Scra4 owner/
Their res4ective n)m6er is in 4-ramidal form as shown in
fig)re/ From the st)d- we fo)nd that& Feria occ)4ies largest
share in SWM and Scra4 1wner (Waste Entre4rene)r%
occ)4ies less share/ 3ll lower order in the 4-ramid are
informal and economicall- graded as low= Standard whereas
the to4 in hierarch-& which is scra4 owner is economicall-
strong and most of the time wor,ing formall-/ It has 6een
fo)nd that total .60. informal wor,er are wor,ing c)rrentl- in
Solid waste management sector/ 2)ring field st)d-& we fo)nd
that 2=t=2 IWW have : wheeled waste collection ric,shaw
)nder the ownershi4 of waste collection 0@1/ Scavengers
and waste segregators are economicall- v)lnera6le gro)4 of
IWW/
B/ Involvement of I""
IWW are involved in man- wa-s form 2=t=2
collection to waste 4ic,ing to scra4 collection/ Most
Fig: (ierarch- of IWW
of the IWW are r)ral to )r6an migrant involved in
SWM thro)gh their relative& famil- or friend
lin,age/ 3mong identified .60. IWW& 60> are
0e4ali nationals whereas remaining $0> are Indian
and ::> of total IWW are females and children/
Ma'orit- of IWW are 7athmand) M)nici4alit-
6ased/ The involvement of IWW can 6e seen vital
from the 4rocess of collection to dis4osal/ Besides
few m)nici4al wor,ers& more than ;> of the
wor,er in SWM are informal/ IWW from 0e4al are
mostl- indigeno)s 4eo4le li,e Rai& ?im6)& Tamang&
etc/ and most of these wor,ers resides in informal
settlement (SC)atter Settlement%/ IWW are involved
in collection of waste& sorting of waste& 6)-ing
scra4s and selling scavenges/ Individ)al IWW sell
their waste to small scra4 dealer and small scra4
dealer f)rther sell them to 6ig dealer with
intermediate commission/ Big dealer directl- sell
rec-cla6le and re)sa6le scra4s to rec-cler in 6ig
C)antit-/
C/ Problems of I""
+ro6lems of IWW is not significantl- different from other
informal sector/ Some of common 4ro6lem identified were&
.+ 5ob ecurity
?ac, of recognition of informal sector 6- a)thori5ed agencies
and not 6eing 4rotected with legal chain& IS are alwa-s in
threat of losing their 'o6/ Being formal de4icts 6eing
4rotected/
-+ 4ealth 3isk
"nli,e other informal sector IWW are )nder high health ris,/
The 6eneficiaries of +RISM 4ro'ect are )nder facilitation of
;0> disco)nt in : (os4itals of 7athmand) valle- 6- which
their access to health service have increased significantl-/
/+ 0ccess to Public ervices an! 6asic 7acilities
3ltho)gh IWW have significant role in )r6an environment
management& their access to 6asic 4)6lic services and
facilities are 6e-ond ca4acit-/ +oor economic ca4acit- and
a6sence of saving ha6it co)ld 6e the ma'or reason 6ehind this/
Most of IWW lac,s 4ro4er ho)sing J services and their
children lac,s 4ro4er ed)cation/ +RISM 4ro'ect have
4la-ed affirmative role in creating their access to 4)6lic
services and facilities/
8+ ocial 0cceptance an! ecurity
IWW are regarded :
rd
class citi5en of )r6an area and still
societ- is not read- to give them identit- and recognition/
Informal wor,ers are also ta,en as threat to )r6an sec)rit-
and the conventional role of IWW is seen )ndesira6le/
2/ Issues of I""
.+ Location of "aste 1enter in #i!st of 1ity
Esta6lishment of Te,) Transfer Station and acc)m)lation
of ma'orit- of Scra4 center in its 4eri4her- is seen as ma'or
iss)e it that area/ Te,) was s)44osed to 6e )r6an fringe :
decade 6ac, 6)t toda- it is a 4art of )r6an core/ 0ot onl-
Te,)& most of the scra4 and waste collection center are in the
midst of settlement and )r6an dweller doesnBt feel
comforta6le in its 4resence/ Relocation of these scra4 and
waste collection center o)t the town has 6asicall- two
4ro6lem& the first is financial via6ilit-& and ne9t is availa6ilit-
of land/
-+ 6eing Informal
Recognition of IWW is ma'or iss)e in SWM/ M)nici4alit-
have 6een investing ma'or reso)rce in SWM 6)t the act)al
wor,er who are informal still lac,s identit-/ @overnment
s4ea,s a lot in terms of SWM and incl)ded SWM in its acts
and 4olicies 6)t we cannot find those acts and 4olicies
So)rce: +RISM +ro'ect St)d-& #0*:
So)rce: +RISM +ro'ect St)d-&#0*:
addressing Informal Sector/ IWW th)s are not 6o)nded in
legal criterion and ma,ing them formal is ma'or iss)e to 6e
dealt
@overnment cond)ct training and s)6sid- with/ Most of the
IWW are str)ggling for s)staining life& so there might 6e a
C)estion of their ca4a6ilit- 6eing formal/ @overnment doesnBt
directl- invest and tend to 4rotect informal sector/ 3ltho)gh&
some of the international donor agencies have la)nched
4ro'ects and 4rogram to address 4ro6lem of informal sector/
+RISM is an e9am4le of s)ch 4ro'ect which is wor,ing for the
welfare of IWW and it has achieved a lot to im4rove their
overall condition and also created a wa- towards
formali5ation/
E/ 9pportunities in "#
The most im4ortant 4art of o)r st)d- finding o44ort)nities in
SWM/ More than *;000 IWW are directl- and indirectl-
involved in SWM sector and +RISM 4ro'ect have identified
.60. IWW f)ll time involved/ Involvement of this
considera6le n)m6er of IWW indicates o44ort)nit- in SWM/
+eo4le are searching wealth o)t or those discard/ There is
4o4)lar sa-ing FFohar Bata MohorB means& ma,e mone- o)t
of waste/ 2)ring o)r st)d-& all the interviewee were fo)nd
satisfied with their 'o6 and ha44- to 6e involved in this sector/
The income of Interviewee Mr/ +)rna Man Tamang who is 2=
t=2 waste collector is more than twent- five tho)sand a month
incl)ding his reg)lar salar- of Rs/ <$00/ (e along with #;
other IWW are engaged in 2=t=2 collection and all wor,erBs
monthl- income is not less than #;000 a month/ This shows&
6esides their reg)lar salar- of Rs/ <$00 a month& the- are
generating additional Rs/ *.000N mone- from waste/
SW entre4rene)r Mr/ +anna 2as and Mr/ @-an Bahad)r
Tamang owns their own Scra4 center and *0=*; IWW dail-
6ring sella6le waste to sell in their scra4 center/ The Scra4
owner are generating more than Rs/ :;&000 a month and are
satisfied with their wor,/ SWM sector have high economic
4otential and man- new entre4rene)r are entering in this
sector/ WE+C1& an 0@1 is wor,ing in SWM from last *;
-ears and develo4ed e9em4lar waste enter4rise/ The- have
managed ;0> of waste of ward n)m6er *& #& *0 and #0 in
so)rce and remaining waste are o4tim)m )tili5ed for rec-cle
and re)se/
There are ver- few large scale scra4 dealer in 7athmand)
valle- and wor,ing formall- to e94ort rec-cla6le waste to
India/ ()ge C)antit- of waste are collected and 4revented
from landfilling/ The 4revented waste are not act)all- waste
6)t reso)rce!raw material for rec-cle ind)str-/ This is
e9tracting 6ac, h)ge amo)nt of mone- from waste/ 2)ring
o)r st)d-& monthl- t)rnover of small scale scra4 center in
aro)nd #=: la,hs/ There are more than *.0 s)ch scra4 center
and considering fig)re from o)r st)d-& there is $0=;0 corer
-earl- t)rnover in solid waste entre4rene)rshi4/ This data
incl)des onl- transaction form 4a4er& 4lastics& metals and
cloths/
.+ "aste Entrepreneurship
Waste entre4rene)rshi4 is something li,e esta6lishing Scra4
Center or rec-cles ind)str-/ Waste is nothing 6)t discards and
is availa6le in chea4 4rice 6)t in fact 4aradigm shift can 6e
seen in waste management sector/ Waste is seen as a raw
material for new 4rod)cts/ 3lmost all ,ind of ho)sehold waste
are sella6le/
Basicall-& there is : t-4e of waste enter4rise&
'crap +enter, Waste )erchant
Scra4 center deals with rec-cla6le materials and it 6)-s 4a4er&
4lastics& metals and glass/ The scra4 owner sells those
materials to 6ig dealer with commission/ The sella6le retail
4rice of materials are shown in ta6le/
-ecycle (lant
Rec-cle 4lant is another t-4e of waste enter4rise/ Most of the
materials are e94orted to India and ver- less C)antit- of 4a4er&
4lastics and cloths are rec-cled herein 7athmand)/ Metal and
@lass rec-cle 4lant holds great 4otential in rec-cle ind)str-/
The diagram 6elow shows the scra4 waste flow which
)ltimatel- ends in rec-cle 4lant/ Th)s& there is no raw material
scarcit- for rec-cle ind)str- and can 6e availa6le at chea4
4rice too as 7athmand) valle- alone generated $00 tons of
waste 4er da- and <0> of the wastes are either rec-cla6le of
re=)sa6le/ The inde4endent st)d- cond)cted 6- 7ishore +/
?)itel and San'a- 0ath 7hanal of 7" de4artment of
Environment Science fo)nd that onl- ;:> of total scra4 are
rec-cled in 0e4al and remaining $.> of the waste are
e94orted to India L*0M/ Recentl- in #0*0& Mo" was signed
6etween an Indian Com4an- and @o0 regarding esta6lishing
large scaled rec-cle 4lant in 7athmand) valle- L**M/
'. .o. )aterial (rice !per kg$
* +lastic Rs/ .
# +et 6ottle Rs/ :;
: Clothes Rs/ :
$ Cartoon Rs/ ;
; Steel Rs/ #;
6 3l)min)m Rs/ *#0
. Beer 6ottle (4er 4iece% Rs/ #
< Bro,en @lass Rs/ *
Brass Rs/ $$0
*0 Co44er Rs/ ;00
** Tin Rs/ *;
+ompost (lant
Is has 6een alwa-s a hot iss)e that we can ma,e 6io=fertili5er!
Com4ost o)t of organic waste 6)t never 6een e94erienced in
considera6le scale/ 2)ring o)r st)d-& e9ce4t in ho)sehold
level we co)ldnBt find com4ost 4lant/ WE+C1 is ma,ing
com4ost in organi5ational 6asis which collects ;00,g or
organic waste dail- and ma,e com4ost o)t of it/ Few other
0@1 are engaged in ma,ing com4ost fertili5er/
There is still lac, of com4ost 4lant in 7athmand) 8alle- and
there lies h)ge o44ort)nit- in generating mone- from
com4osting/ M)nici4al waste in 7athmand) valle- com4rises
of .0> organic matter and :0> non=organic L*#M/ <0> of
non=organic wastes are rec-cla6le and nearl- same 4ercentage
are 6eing collected and rec-cled/ .0> of the organic waste if
treated in a com4ost 4lant can generate h)ge mone-/ IWW are
considered as chea4 la6o)r and can 6e )tili5ed in com4osting/
F/ 1hanging 3ole of I""
This is the most interesting and diffic)lt 4art of st)d-/
3ssessing change in role of solid waste wor,er is not an eas-
tas, and st)d- carried in short time frame is not s)44osed to
answer this C)estion/ 3ltho)gh& o)r st)d- fo)nd shift of
4)6lic 4erce4tion or viewing IWW from waste collector to
)r6an waste manager/ Waste wor,er were treated as ')st
cleaner or waste collector and the wor, of IWW was lower
grade wor,/ Interview cond)cted with IWW revealed the fact
that& there is significant change in 4)6lic 4erce4tion towards
IWW in recent -ears/ $000 IWW are well eC)i44ed with
safet- eC)i4mentBs and dress 4rovided 6- +RISM +ro'ect
which have inserted dee4 feeling of 4rofessionalism in IWW/
+eo4le have started recogni5ing them as solid waste manager
of the cit-/ Solid waste management is one of the 6)rning
iss)e of 7athmand) and slowl-& role of IWW is gaining
im4ortance/
?et )s ')st imagine 7athmand) 8alle- witho)t IWW& what
co)ld 6e the sceneO Th)s the role of IWW in SWM is
inevita6le/ IWW are not ')st managing waste of valle- 6)t
also generating mone-/ The- are 4la-ing vital role in
environment c-cle and 4reserving nat)re as well and at mean
time 4roviding raw materials in rec-cle ind)str-/
IWW are grad)all- getting )nited and forming welfare gro)4/
"nder assistance of +RISM 4ro'ect& an 0@1 has 6een
esta6lished with leadershi4 of IWW named :amyukta afai
5agaran; and more than *;00 informal waste wor,er are its
mem6er/ It has its own co=o4erative where more than 600
waste wor,er have started de4ositing their saving and the
n)m6er in increasing/ 1)r st)d- fo)nd that there are ; IWW
wor,ing gro)4s with in 7athmand) valle- formed )nder
+RISM 4ro'ect/ This gro)4 are formed to ens)re their social
and 4rofessional sec)rit-/
@/ "ay towar!s 7ormali'ation
0one of the concerned agencies are interested to formali5e
IWW/ Formali5ation of IWW means 6earing e9tra 6)rden
which is also not acce4ta6le 6- IWW itself/ Their income is
ver- less and mone- the- earn comes o)t from ver- hard
la6o)r/ If one visit to waste d)m4ing site& the- ma- reali5e
wor,ing in waste is the hardest 'o6 ever e9isted/ With severe
health and safet- ris,s& IWW wor, all da- long to acc)m)late
mone- to feed themselves and their children/ +a-ing ta9 is one
wa- of formali5ation 6)t mere ta9 4a-ment wonBt ens)re their
formali5ation/ Formali5ation sho)ld 6ring their Ho6 Sec)rit-&
Social sec)rit- and 4rofessional recognition 6- government/
Initiative from +RISM 4ro'ect has set nota6le e9am4le in
4overt- red)ction of IWW/ With s)r4l)s savings& most of the
IWW are read- to 4a- ta9 6)t at the same time the- are in
dilemma a6o)t ret)rn the- get from government/ +RISM
4ro'ect )nder its initiative have registered . scra4 center as
+rivate ?imited Com4an- )nder 1ffice of Com4an- Registrar/
Most of the 2=t=2 IWW are 4a-ing ta9 to social sec)rit- f)nd
6)t are the- reall- getting 6ac, for their social sec)rit-O Most
of the waste entre4rene)r are have +ersonal 3cco)nt 0)m6er
(+30% and 4a-s ta9 in some wa-s 6)t the em4lo-ee the-
engage are totall- informal/
Wor, of +RISM 4ro'ect ma- not 6e oriented to formali5e
IWW 6)t it might 6e leading ste4 for formali5ation/
@overnment recognition of IWW and mass 4)6lic awareness
is needed so that wor, of IWW co)ld 6e mar,ed as good 'o6/
2)ring o)r field st)d-& we fo)nd willingness of IWW to get
formali5e 6)t not all IWW wants so/ The- are )naware of the
6enefits 6eing formal/ 1ne of the 4ro6lem we saw in
formali5ation of IWW is involvement of $0> Indian IWW/
1nce all IWW get formali5e& Indian national comes )nder
international wor,er& so addressing them co)ld 6e another
challenge/
8I/ C10C?"SI10
Informal waste wor,er are waste manager of 7athmand)
valle- and their role is vital in )r6an waste management/
There is significant n)m6er of IWW of which $0> are Indian
0ational/ Involvement of significant n)m6er of international
la6or in the SWM 4)ts challenge in formali5ation of IWW/
3ltho)gh& the- are not recogni5ed 6- government sector& their
will to get formali5e doesnBt ma,e sense/ Informal sector is
ma'or contri6)tor in m)nici4al waste management as a res)lt
of which more than .000 IWW are directl- involved in this
Fig: Scra4 Waste flow in 7athmand) 8alle-/ 0e4al
(So)rce: 0i44on 7oie& #00;%
sector/ The reason 6ehind the attraction in this sector is
economic o44ort)nit-/ IWW are ma,ing nice amo)nt of
mone- from waste management and most of the wor,er are
illiterate for whom finding 'o6 in other sector is diffic)lt/ This
wor, doesnBt reC)ire s,ill as a res)lt& all )ns,illed famil-
mem6ers are involved in waste 6)siness/ Increasing n)m6er
of IWW in SWM shows that there is some hidden attraction in
this sector/ +eo4le are searching mone- from waste/ 3lmost
<0> of m)nici4al waste can 6e reso)rce and IWW are doing
the same/ The collected scra4 waste are sold to scra4 dealer/
E9cl)ding waste 4ic,er& which earns relativel- less than other
IWW& monthl- income varied from *;000=:;000/ E9ce4t 2=t=
2 collector and waste segregator& all : categories of wor,er
are self=em4lo-ed and doesnBt rel- on monthl- salar-/ Waste
4ic,er are economicall- v)lnera6le categor- 6)t still ma,ing
mone- ranging from 0Rs/ :00=;00 dail-/ IWW have 4la-ed a
significant role in changing meaning of waste/ The
transforming meaning of waste into wealth is d)e contri6)tion
of IWW/ ?ac, of large rec-cle 4lants in 0e4al is allowing
$.> of total scra4 e94ort in India/ More n)m6er of
em4lo-ment co)ld 6e created within co)ntr- and more than
<0> of total m)nici4al waste co)ld 6e managed if IWW are
recogni5ed as significant 4art of )r6an management/ The-
see, identit- and deserves direct intervention from
government sector as well/ Formali5ation of IWW is -et not
an iss)e of toda-Bs 7athmand)/
3C701W?E2@ME0T
We wo)ld li,e to than, o)r co)rse coordinator
2r/ 7irti 7)s)m Hoshi for his inval)a6le advice and
g)idance thro)gho)t the research/ We wo)ld also
li,e to than, Mr/ 0a6in Bi,ash Mahar'an& +ro'ect
coordinator of +RISM 4ro'ect la)nched 6- Centre
for Integrated "r6an 2evelo4ment (CI"2% for
giving )s reC)ired information for o)r research/
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