waste workers

Quezon City, Philippines – As the Philippines approaches its 126^th year of independence, the newly established Philippine National Waste Workers Alliance (PNWWA) urges lawmakers to enact a Magna Carta for Waste Workers to secure vital legislative protection. This significant move seeks to recognize the indispensable work of waste workers and waste pickers and address the social and economic challenges they face daily.

Formed in February 2024, PNWWA is a coalition of 12 waste worker organizations representing over a thousand members across the archipelago. Their unified voice underscores the need for legislative action to improve the working conditions and safeguard the rights of waste workers and waste pickers nationwide.

“We are calling for, among others, just compensation and social benefits and protection because we provide essential services to society. We are as deserving of such benefits and protection as any other worker, perhaps even more so. Without us, society will not function efficiently,” said Aloja Santos, Dumaguete Women Waste Workers Association (DWWWA) president and PNWWA founding president.

In February, during a national consultation with waste workers organized by Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) with the support of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific, which resulted in the establishment of PNWWA, participants formulated 10 priority demands that must be reflected in a draft Magna Carta. These demands were shaped by extensive consultations with waste workers conducted by MEF over the years.

The demands are:

Enforcement of Labor Standards (Pagpapatupad ng mga Pamantayan ng Paggawa)
Hazard Pay (Bayad sa Panganib)
Health Insurance and Services (Seguro at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan)
Humane and Safe Working Conditions (Makatao at Ligtas na Kalagayan sa Pagtatrabaho)
Job Security (Seguridad sa Trabaho)
Just Compensation (Tamang Pasahod)
Meaningful Participation in Policy Spaces (Makabuluhang Pakikilahok sa mga Usaping Pampolisiya)
Right to Organize (Karapatang Mag-organisa)
Social Benefits and Protection (Kapakinabangan at Proteksyong Panlipunan)
Training (Pagsasanay)

Following the consultation, a Magna Carta for Waste Workers was drafted and PNWWA presented it to Senator Loren Legarda. As the author and principal sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Senator Legarda with her legal team immediately studied the proposed legislation and filed the bill on April 17, 2024, which is now pending in the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.

“I acknowledge the validity of the demands of the waste workers — their call for fair treatment, job security, and access to essential services resonates deeply with the principles of justice and equity. These are valid concerns that warrant attention and action, and I am committed to working collaboratively in finding solutions that ensure a just transition for all,” Senator Legarda said.

Atty. Christopher John C. Menguito, Managing Trustee of the Philippine Earth Justice Center explained the importance of integrating these solutions into the law through magna carta as he said, “The purpose of the law is to make the lives of the people better.”

As the world faces multiple environmental crises and ecological collapse, the contribution of waste workers and waste pickers as frontliners in combating waste pollution is needed now more than ever. Data reveals that methane, a potent greenhouse gas, accounts for about 30% of the rise in global temperature since pre-industrial times, and in 2021, anthropogenic waste is among the major sources of methane emissions. In Metro Manila alone, waste generation contributes 22.2%, 24.5%, and 26.7% to the Philippines’ solid waste in 2010, 2014 and 2020, respectively. This underscores the power waste workers wield towards ensuring a sustainable and waste-free future. From composting to diverting reusable materials away from landfills, they play a vital part in waste management and recycling, offering practical and cost-effective solutions to address both waste and climate issues.

“This moment underscores the importance of recognizing waste workers and waste pickers as frontline environmental defenders. We must prioritize their rights and ensure they have full labor protections under the law. This commitment sets the foundation for collaborative advocacy, fostering a truly inclusive and just transition, said Sonia Mendoza, Chair of Mother Earth Foundation.

“The Magna Carta for Waste Workers is a powerful tool in fostering significant change not only in the Philippines but for the whole Southeast Asian region. Waste workers and waste pickers are claiming their rights, making their voices heard and their presence felt. Their desire and determination to be part of the process are crucial in the shift towards a sustainable waste management system. Together, we are forging a future where we do not leave anyone behind,” Froilan Grate, Regional Coordinator of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific, emphasized.

Additional quotes below:

From the Members of the Philippine National Waste Workers Alliance (PNWWA)

The members of the PNWWA shared their clarion call during the Press Conference for the Magna Carta of Waste Workers, acting for their independence, as they cried in unison “Kalayaan mula sa polusyon, kahirapan, at basurang sistema! Itaguyod ang pantay na karapatan para sa manggagawa sa basura! (Freedom from pollution, poverty, and wasteful systems! Uphold equal rights for waste workers!)” The call came as waste workers aim to break free from the cycle of poverty and take charge of their dignity and rights.

From the EcoWaste Coalition

While the EPR law holds promise for including waste workers, especially the informal waste sector by integrating them into formal waste management systems by encouraging their participation in the ‘product waste recovery programs aimed at effectively preventing waste from leaking to the environment’ as stated in Sec. 6, Article 1 B.6 of the law, its success depends on the proper implementation by the different stakeholders.

We encourage obliged enterprises or large enterprises and LGUs implementing the EPR Law to include the waste workers organization, in the following:

1. Under Section 4, composition of the National Solid Waste Management Commission

2. Under Section 6 Article 2.B: in the creation of Producer Responsibility Organizations by the obliged enterprises.

The EPR Law should align with RA 9003 and the National Framework Plan for the Informal Waste Sector that fully integrates the waste workers to safeguard their rights and well-being.

Efforts made by duty bearers and obliged enterprises should support the inclusion of waste workers at all levels of decision-making: from the Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Committee up to the National Solid Waste Management Commission. They must ensure inclusivity, collaboration, and fair compensation for the waste workers that are reflective of their responsibilities, skills, and the hazardous nature of their work, accompanied by comprehensive benefits that prioritize their health and safety.

From Secretary, Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

In the global response to climate change and environmental pollution, the green transition will have gainers and losers with new (green) jobs being created and other jobs being lost. For the informal waste sector, this presents an opportunity to enhance worker agility and competitiveness to undertake new occupations and respond to the changing nature of jobs towards a circular economy, just transition, and resilience for the future of work.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognizes the significant contribution of workers in the informal waste sector in delivering better environmental outcomes. As we strengthen the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act, we make sure that we do not leave the waste workers behind. We aim to integrate the informal waste sector into the value chain, including transforming the collection and sorting of waste into formal activities and enterprises that are supported under the EPR system. We advocate for the reskilling and upskilling of waste workers so they can benefit in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

We welcome the Magna Carta of Waste Workers bill since DENR supports the formalization of waste workers’ rights and benefits, and the professionalization of the sector. The inclusion of the waste sector in the enforcement of labor laws, and the creation of supporting policies that are responsive to the needs of waste workers are key to enhancing their socioeconomic well-being allowing them to benefit and contribute better to our shared goals. By supporting this bill, we make them partners in sustainable development in our commitment to a just, inclusive, and resilient future for all.

From Mayor Vilma B. Caluag, City of San Fernando, Pampanga

The City Government of San Fernando, Pampanga, under our leadership, is supporting—with complete pride—the creation and submission of the Magna Carta of Philippine Waste Workers, spearheaded by the Philippine National Waste Workers’ Association (PNWWA) and various non-government organizations.

Our support for PNWWA strongly speaks to our drive to help our waste workers move and fight for their rights, and this is anchored on our call for inclusivity and protection across all sectors.

In our local government unit, we make sure that our waste workers, from our garbage collectors down to our segregators, get their rights, including the provision of personal protective gear, just compensation and benefits, health and wellness programs, and fair treatment, along with various privileges such as additional allowances and recreational activities.

These actions were made possible out of our belief that no one should be left behind, and with the help of the NGO partners of our City Environment and Natural Resources Office across Asia Pacific, we hope that these practices may also inspire other localities to take a move towards the protection of waste workers.

The City of San Fernando is extending its utmost gratitude to the people and groups behind this movement, and rest assured that we are one with you in this measure heading to the realization of labor rights and environmental justice and protection.

In fighting for our waste workers’ dignity and rights, Kayabe yu kami.

Discover more about our waste pickers and waste workers and their advocacy towards a just transition.

———

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL WASTE WORKERS ALLIANCE (PNWWA) is an alliance composed of 12 waste workers groups representing over a thousand waste workers across the Philippines. Established in February 2024, the Alliance is working for the recognition and protection of their rights and welfare.

MOTHER EARTH FOUNDATION PH is a non-stock, non-profit organization actively engaged in addressing waste and toxic pollution, climate change, and other health and environmental justice issues. It is best known for its advocacy of Zero Waste through the systematic reduction and proper management of waste.

GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES (GAIA) is a network of grassroots groups as well as national and regional alliances representing more than 1,000 organizations from 92 countries. With our work, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. Through our members, we support waste picker and waste worker groups in implementing Zero Waste solutions, and in their fight for a just transition towards a Zero Waste future.

PHILIPPINE EARTH JUSTICE CENTER (PEJC) is a group of environmental lawyers advocating for environmental justice and a balanced ecology through legal assistance, policy research, policy reforms, and strengthening the capabilities of local communities.

ECOWASTE COALITION is a network of more than 150 groups advocating for a Zero Waste society in the Philippines. They aim to address issues related to waste, climate, and chemicals through research, information dissemination, training, and advocacy.

PHILIPPINES, Quezon City, 21 March 2024 – In a significant move for labor rights and environmental justice, waste workers and waste pickers from diverse regions across the Philippines gathered for a national consultation, forming a national alliance and demanding a Magna Carta for Waste Workers — marking a historic and unified call for the recognition of their rights.

From Manila to Siquijor, representatives of various waste picker and waste worker groups voiced concerns regarding their social conditions, ranging from job insecurity to exposure to health hazards to the imperative need for humane working conditions, better pay, health benefits, and protection against discrimination. The delegates, representing over 1,000 waste workers and waste pickers from across the country, determined that despite their diversity, they have similar and resounding aspirations, all of them having faced a form of marginalization and discrimination in their line of work.

Following their emotional sharing of experiences and visions, Marina Cuyugan, Treasurer of Women Waste Warrior (Manila), persuaded her colleagues to form a national alliance. “Everything we discussed today will not become a reality if we don’t organize ourselves. We need to form a national organization. If we don’t, who will listen to us?” she told her fellow participants.

Thus, the establishment of the Philippine National Waste Workers Alliance (PNWWA) — the first-ever national alliance of such kind in the country — as a unified front to advocate for their demands and their rights.
Aloja Santos, president of Dumaguete Women Waste Workers Association and founding president of the newly-formed alliance, vowed to lobby for the adoption of a magna carta for waste workers embodying their demands and aspirations. “If there is one thing we must accomplish, it is having a law that is grounded on our realities and responsive to our needs,” she said.

“We must be given social benefits and protection because we provide essential services to society. We are as deserving of such benefits and protection as any other worker. Perhaps even more so. Without us, society will not function efficiently. People just need to recognize our contributions to see that,” she added.
For Wilhelmina Magdaluyo, President of the Malabon-Navotas Waste Workers Association (MaNaWWA), benefits due to waste workers should not be subject to the whims of local politicians. “Many of our peers have been removed from work when there is a change of leadership after an election, despite doing hard work for more than 10 or 20 years. We need to ensure that every waste worker in the country gets the same protection,” she said. As a first step, the delegates formulated 10 demands which will be embodied in a draft magna carta that they plan to submit to the senate.

Enforcement of Labor Standards (Pagpapatupad ng mga Pamantayan ng Trabaho)
Enforcement of labor standards protects waste workers from being exploited, ensuring proper compensation and protection of rights.
Hazard Pay (Bayad sa Panganib)
Given the waste workers’ unsafe working conditions and exposure to health risks such as hazardous materials, the provision of hazard pay is a concrete demonstration of the recognition of waste workers’ rights.
Health Insurance and Services (Seguro at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan)
Access to health benefits and provision of essential medical care and support ensures waste workers’ safety and security.
Humane and Safe Working Conditions (Makatao at Ligtas na Kalagayan sa Pagtatrabaho)
The health and safety risks that waste workers face should be a thing of the past. It is imperative upon the government to ensure safe working conditions for all workers, especially those managing waste. Provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) is just one of the basic actions that must be carried out to ensure waste workers’ safety.
Job Security (Seguridad sa Trabaho)
Waste workers lack job security. Many face the risk of layoffs or contract terminations, resulting in financial instability and economic vulnerability. Providing job security not only allows for financial stability and security but also promotes commitment and reliability in the long term.
Just Compensation (Tamang Pasahod)
Fair wages for waste workers not only ensure economic security, it also recognizes the essential role of waste workers in communities as frontliners.
Meaningful participation in policy spaces (Makabuluhang Pakikilahok sa mga Espasyo ng Patakaran)
Waste workers have the experience and expertise that can meaningfully contribute to our communities’ waste management policies. Waste workers’ voices should be at the front and center of policy discussions for just, informed, and effective policies.
Right to Organize (Karapatang Mag-organisa)
The formation of the Philippine National Waste Workers Association (PNWWA) allows waste workers to have proper representation in policy spaces. An organized group is better equipped at advocating for basic rights and better working conditions. This also grants an opportunity for collective action and empowerment of waste workers in the Philippines.
Social Benefits and Protection (Kapakinabangan at Proteksyong Panlipunan)
Waste workers are among the most vulnerable sectors in society, facing security and health risks, economic instability, and even social discrimination. Access to social benefits and protection is critical in addressing these issues, allowing for dignified labor and more humane living conditions.
Training (Pagsasanay)
Since waste pickers and waste workers deal with hazardous materials, training for safe-handling is essential to ensure safe working conditions. Skills training will also be useful for work outside the waste sector.

Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) Chairman Sonia Mendoza lauded the waste workers for organizing themselves. “Despite being praised as environmental heroes for their contributions to society, waste workers face numerous challenges. Being an organized group provides them advantages such as collective bargaining power, better sectoral representation and recognition, and access to capacity training,” she said.

She added, “MEF’s Zero Waste City models would not be successful without the hard work, commitment, and dedication of waste workers. Yet the invaluable help of these unsung heroes in our Zero Waste work is often ignored and not given importance, especially by the government. The significant strides that the Zero Waste movement has achieved would not have been possible in the Philippines and around the world without waste workers.”

Various estimates place the number of waste workers and waste pickers in the Philippines at over 100,000 under the informal waste sector, but waste worker groups and their partner NGOs believe this is a gross underestimation. Waste workers and waste pickers often work in open dumpsites and wander around cities collecting trash on-foot or with carts, thus their numbers are mostly unrecorded. And while considered essential workers, waste workers are underpaid and overworked, with only 4,000 (.04%) waste workers nationwide reported to receive annual wages at around P250,000 in materials recovery, waste collection, and waste treatment and disposal.

“We call on the government to ensure a just transition for informal workers in the waste sector by once and for all listening to their voices and immediately acting on improving their working and living conditions. The waste workers and waste pickers are not asking for far too much. All they are demanding is that they be accorded their fundamental rights as Filipinos, and as workers whose contributions greatly benefit society,” said Sherma Benosa, lead of the Just Transition work of GAIA Asia Pacific.

“They are not only the backbone of efficient resource and waste management, they also play a central role in climate change mitigation. If we are to succeed in our fight against plastic pollution and climate change, we need to support our frontliners — the waste workers and waste pickers,” she added.

Interview with MaNaWWA President Wilhelmina Magdaluyo by Dan Abril

A group of people is sitting in a basketball court, holding up a banner. — *Photo courtesy of MaNaWWA*

Emerging from the zero waste initiatives pioneered by Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) Philippines in the cities of Malabon and Navotas in the Philippines, the Malabon-Navotas Waste Workers Association (MaNaWWA) was established in November 2021 as a means to boost the morale of waste workers.

Comprising collectors, drivers of waste collection vehicles, palero (shoveller), dispatchers, caretakers of Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF), composters, estero (creek) rangers, canal decloggers, street sweepers, waste pickers, monitoring officers, environmental police, and more, MaNaWWA is dedicated to improving the working conditions of waste workers and spotlighting their crucial role in combating plastic pollution.

Initially, MaNaWWA had a modest membership. However, this increased significantly after collaborating with Sagip Kapamilya of the ABS-CBN Foundation in June 2022. MANAWWA currently boasts a membership of 355 individuals from Malabon and Navotas. The organization is also registered under the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), making it eligible to receive government assistance and benefits, such as livelihood assistance, trainings, and financial resources.

Our talk with current MaNaWWA President Wilma Magdaluyo offered insights into their work and their campaign to reduce the impact of waste and to bring recognition to waste workers.

a group of people discussing around a table — *Photo courtesy of MaNaWWA*

What are MaNaWWA’s main ongoing campaigns?

MaNaWWA’s ongoing campaigns focus on garnering support from barangay members, emphasizing waste reduction and recycling. We have informational drives that span barangays (villages), schools, and non-government organizations (NGOs). However, our initiatives are not limited to waste segregation but are extended to livelihood programs for waste workers such as dishwashing liquid production and rug-making from discarded textiles recovered during waste collection.

What are MaNaWWA’s biggest accomplishments/achievements?

Our foremost achievement lies in fostering community awareness about proper waste segregation. Overcoming initial obstacles, our campaign has significantly boosted waste diversion. This means a substantial portion of waste, including PET bottles, cardboard, and plastic cups, now reaches recycling centers instead of landfills. Further, kitchen waste is processed into compost for urban gardens managed by MaNaWWA members. Vegetables from the garden are then distributed among association members, creating a sustainable cycle. Today, households, armed with information on proper waste segregation, voluntarily segregate their waste before handing it over to our waste workers.

In 2023, we spearheaded the Waste Workers Appreciation Day, a significant event that aimed to acknowledge the tireless efforts of waste workers, with valuable assistance from MEF. MaNaWWA is also a member of the Malabon and Navotas’ Solid Waste Management Board, an administrative body tasked with coordinating and overseeing solid waste management activities of the city. There, we contribute our expertise to enhance waste management strategies in these areas. Further, we were one of the delegates at the GAIA Asia Pacific Regional Meeting held in 2023 in Hoi An, Vietnam. That meeting gathered GAIA members from all over Asia Pacific and it was a great platform to discuss the waste crisis and celebrate our zero waste initiatives.

Earlier this year, we participated in the launch of the Philippine National Waste Workers Alliance (PNWWA), an association advocating for the rights of Filipino waste workers. I am proud to serve on the board, contributing to the collective efforts aimed at championing the rights of waste workers.

What challenges are you facing? How does the COVID crisis impact your work?

The pandemic posed considerable risks for our waste workers. Our profession already exposes us to occupational hazards, and the pandemic exacerbated this by limiting access to personal protection equipment (PPE). The improper disposal of health-related waste, such as used face masks and plastic shields, further complicated the situation.

Presently, our primary concern is the lack of funds. We wish to provide financial and medical assistance to needy members, but our resources, sadly, are constrained.

What are the main environmental issues that your country/region is facing?

A significant issue is the prevalence of sachets in our waste collection. These items contribute to sewage blockages and floods, escalating disease rates. In the past, refill options were commonplace in small neighborhood retail shops, reducing the need for sachets. However, sachets are everywhere, especially in low-income areas.

We have made strides in mitigating the problems caused by sachets with our waste collection initiatives but we call on companies to stop producing sachets for the sake of communities and the environment.

a group of people holding up banners — *Photo courtesy of Mother Earth Foundation (MEF)*

How do you see your organization’s work evolving in the next few years?

What we envision is more and strengthened collaboration with other NGOs and government bodies. We also look forward to conducting more seminars on enhancing community awareness on waste reduction.

What are your thoughts on the waste crisis that many countries in your region (and in the world) are living in right now?

The waste crisis demands a collaborative effort from all sectors to minimize its impact. Sachets, particularly in the Philippines, contribute significantly to this crisis, needing urgent attention.

Do you collaborate with partners in other regions? If so, how?

Currently, we collaborate with MEF on diverse initiatives, including seminars and information dissemination on waste segregation. MEF has provided valuable training on occupational safety and basic computer skills, which we aim to pass on to other members.

a group of people huddled around in a discussion — *Photo courtesy of MaNaWWA*

Who do you admire most in environmental work (in your country or the world)?

We admire MEF for its commitment to zero waste and its sincere efforts in educating and reaching out to schools and barangays.

Call for funding

MaNaWWA urgently requires funding to provide financial support for waste workers, covering medical expenses and livelihood programs. Additionally, they seek support for seminars focusing on self-care and occupational safety. Supporting MANAWWA directly contributes to the betterment of waste workers’ lives and the community’s environmental well-being. You can email them at manawasteworkersassociation@gmail.com or check out MANAWWA’s work in Malabon and Navotas on their Facebook page: Malabon-Navotas Waste Workers Association (MaNaWWA).

Let’s support our waste pickers and waste workers. Read our feature article, SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON WASTE WORKERS AND WASTE PICKERS THROUGH JUST TRANSITION, and explore GAIA members working towards a just transition.

“Temperature records that were not meant to be broken have fallen, one after the other, day by day… Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement would require greenhouse gas emissions to be halved by 2030 and net zero emission to be reached by 2050.” —Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

Dire warnings have been issued: the world is facing a climate emergency, and governments around the world are called to “shift into emergency gear;” otherwise, we may face disastrous consequences.

Scientists believe that we still have time to avert this impending catastrophe. But as the years pass, the window to do action is becoming narrow. We must act fast to shift to new, sustainable frameworks and systems.

But while we must move swiftly, we must do things right. The transition needs to be inclusive. And just. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines ‘just transition’ as “Greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind.”

Without a just transition, the sectors already excluded by the current system may be left behind. If that happens, they will become even more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Their exclusion may result in them losing their livelihoods, and in turn, in their further deprivation and marginalization.

Zooming In on Workers in the Waste Sector

Among the sectors that stand to suffer the most from the twin crisis that is plastic pollution and climate change are the waste workers, waste pickers, and other informal workers in the recycling value chain — the very people who play a crucial role in waste management and climate change mitigation, often with little to no compensation.

Waste pickers save millions of dollars for their cities and communities and contribute to environmental and human health. Yet, not only are their roles and contributions unrecognized, they are also not included in conversations on the very work that they do, and the very issues affecting them. Their expertise in waste management remains largely untapped and even ignored. And while they are among the segments of society needing social protection and support, they are largely excluded. In many places, they do not have access to healthcare, education, and other basic services.

Through our just transition work, we at GAIA Asia Pacific, aim to ensure that waste workers and waste pickers are not only meaningfully consulted but more importantly, that they become active participants and decision-makers in waste management issues. Waste pickers and waste workers must be at the front and center of conversations and decision-making on waste management issues — their voices heard, their expertise tapped, and their leadership recognized. Only when this happens will policies and programs be truly anchored on realities on the ground.

“We hope we can be enrolled in some kind of pension scheme and get more support for our medical needs. I worry about my grandchildren. Their father does not support them. What would happen to them when I’m gone and I’m not able to leave them something? So you see, a form of pension would be a big help.” — Asha Baban Zombade, Waste Picker from Pune, India

As we shine the spotlight on the waste workers, waste pickers, and other informal workers in the recycling value chain during the final week of the International Zero Waste Month (IZWM) celebration, we invite you to listen to their stories. May we have a deeper appreciation of their contributions and understanding of how they may be supported so that they can live with dignity as they continue with the work that they find meaningful in that better and just world.

We also invite you to support them in whatever way you can.

Support Our Waste Workers and Waste Pickers. Below are GAIA members working with waste pickers and waste workers

MOTHER EARTH FOUNDATION (PHILIPPINES)

Nearly four years ago, Mother Earth Foundation (MEF) launched Project Tuloy, an initiative dedicated to aiding waste workers who play a crucial role in waste collection and sanitation services within our Zero Waste communities. During the COVID19 pandemic, they launched Kusina ni Juan, a community kitchen designed to provide nutritious, freshly cooked meals served in reusable containers for waste workers. They also have a long-running scholarship program for children of waste workers. Through the program, they have supported over 200 children, providing them with gadgets for e-learning and additional allowance that enabled them to purchase school supplies.

Donations can be made through Paypal, as well as via bank transfers to our RCBC and BPI accounts (accessible from any bank through online transfers). Kindly forward a copy of your donation receipt to act@motherearthphil.org to ensure proper acknowledgment. Your generosity will make a meaningful impact on the lives of those dedicated to maintaining our communities Zero Waste and sustainable.

Donate here:

PAYPAL

BANK ACCOUNT
Bank: Security Bank

Type of account: Savings

Branch: Congressional Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

Name of account: FOR LOVE OF MOTHER EARTH INC

Account number: 0-0000-2822-8193

Facebook | Mother Earth Foundation PH | Facebook

CHINTAN CHINTAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND ACTION GROUP

(NEW DELHI, INDIA)

Chintan reduces waste and consumption, manages solid and electronic waste, and advocates around materials, waste, and consumption. It uses waste as a tool to fight poverty, child labor, gender-based violence, and exclusion and climate change, while creating green livelihoods. Chintan pushes back and combats unsustainable consumption. Its work directly supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17.

Help Chintan by supporting #COVIDmekabadi

The United Nations says in these times of COVID, handling waste is an essential service, without which we can all get more ill. Wastepickers do this for us in India. Delhi’s 50,000 wastepickers need our support as they protect us.

DONATE HERE: #COVIDmekabadi | Chintan (chintan-india.org)

HASIRU DALA (BANGALORE, INDIA)

Hasiru Dala, which means Green Force, is a social impact organization that works with waste pickers and other waste workers to ensure a life with dignity.

Donations to support waste pickers

Waste pickers and other informal waste workers are among the most marginalized communities across the country. Despite this, their work of removing waste from the streets to sell to scrap dealers and recyclers makes them unsung and silent environmentalists whose work supports municipal waste management with little to no reward.

Your donations will go to support our programs, which fall broadly across social security, livelihoods, housing, health and nutrition, advocacy, children’s education and safety.

Support Waste Pickers

KKPKP/SWACH (Pune, India)

A Trade Union of Waste Pickers

KKPKP has advocated for the unclean occupations scholarship program at the state government level. They may be reached at https://kkpkp.org/sample-page/timeline-of-change/

STREE MUKTI SANGHATANA (MUMBAI, INDIA)

Established in 1975, Stree Mukti Sanghatana has been working towards women empowerment for over four decades. The play ‘Mulgi Zali Ho’ (Girl is Born) opened doors for women to interact and share their problems with us. The family counseling centers, in-house monthly publication “Prerak Lalkari”, programs for adolescents, daycare centres, programs for waste pickers, and solid waste management commenced operations to enable sustainable livelihood for women.

Donate

Yaksa Pelestari Bumi Berkelanjutan (YPBB)

War on Waste – Break Free From Plastic (WOW-BFFP) – Negros Oriental

Ecowaste Coalition

Interview with Nguyen Thi Nhat Anh by Sonia G. Astudillo and Dan Abril

The Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD), a self-funded NGO based in Hue Vietnam, works to seek justice for vulnerable communities, especially women. A team of four women with diverse backgrounds from environmental science, economics, and public policy, these women are passionate about seeing other women excel not just in Hue but also in their project sites in adjacent provinces in Central Vietnam and lower Mekong.

GAIA sat down with Nhat Anh, CSRD’s Director and one of the youngest directors in the network, to talk about their work and future plans.

Nhat Anh is a GAIA-BFFP Asia Pacific Communications Officers Fellow whose graduate school thesis on water management motivated her to pursue environmental NGO work and leave her life in Hanoi to join CSRD in Hue city.

What are CSRD’s top priorities?

Top of our list is women waste workers especially those in the informal sector. We conduct action research to identify issues related to them such as a lack of benefit and support from the government. Our focus has always been on women and how they are affected or will be affected by climate change.

Why women? Because while Kinh women in Vietnam are a power within the family, they are almost always the most vulnerable in the community especially in the rural, mountainous areas and in the informal sectors.

What are the main ongoing campaigns?

We are doing research on the current waste direction in Hue city. This will guide us in our projects in the coming years. In this project, we also have some activities to seek sustainable livelihood initiatives whose aim is directed towards a circular economy and supporting waste workers in generating additional income.

In the past, we also conducted trainings on preventing sexual violence for women.

Aside from being one of the few organizations in the network working on women empowerment, what are your biggest accomplishments/achievements?

One is promoting women waste workers’ role in Hue’s waste value chain, especially waste pickers in informal sector in An Dong ward through feminist participatory action research (FPAR). In the FPAR project, we treat our participants (women waste workers) as co-researchers. We try to understand everything about waste from the perspectives of women who are working directly with waste every day. After that, we can understand their demand and capacity to have suitable suggestions or support.

What challenges are you facing? How is your work impacted by the COVID crisis?

Last year, COVID delayed our activities and we could not work with the communities. We cannot organize the women and not everyone has gadgets to communicate and coordinate the work. In 2021, the government too became so strict with people’s mobility because of COVID 19. To overcome that, we partnered with the local government to organize the communities and it helped us move our work forward.

What are the main environmental issues that your country/region is facing?

Our landfills are filling up. There are waste treatment facilities near rice fields. Landfills in Vietnam are nearly filled. Because of this, the health of the residents, including women waste workers, are impacted seriously from the waste leakage and smoke from burning waste.

How do you see your organization’s work evolving in the next few years?

In the next 5 years, we still focus on climate change and waste management. Our target groups are still vulnerable women, not only women impacted by climate change but also women in waste informal sector. We also want to raise public awareness on the vulnerability of these women. They are strong women, but they still need empathy from others.

Finally, we also want to apply the concept of a circular economy in the Zero Waste communities and see it being applied in people’s livelihood.

What are your thoughts on the waste crisis that many countries in your region (and in the world) are living in right now?

When I participated in the AP Comms Officers Fellowship – it changed my way of thinking. In addressing the waste issue, we can maybe start from consumption but let’s not also forget the importance of the production side. Humans buy a lot in the inevitable trend of modern consumerism and it is not always easy to change their habits but we are trying with the communications campaigns on waste. I think it is necessary to pay attention to companies and how they manufacture their products, and to make them accountable. However, we need to balance both sides, because without demand for unnecessary single-use items, we can lessen our use and production of it.

Education is the key, especially schools in the K-12 system, and even universities. My young brothers see my behaviors and feel quite abnormal in comparison with their friends. But, luckily, they still form some good habits such as refusing unnecessary nylon bags. This is just a small example to demonstrate the importance of education at home and at school. I think to make greater impacts, we need a Zero Waste curriculum embedded in the formal education system. Here, students can gain updated knowledge on sustainable development and global issues like climate change, and they also have chances to practise Zero Waste at class level. I believe in the youngsters, they are the future of our Earth!

Along with this bottom-up approach, we also need to promote appropriate policies at school, district, provincial and national levels from top-down view. Policies pave the way for teachers’ initiatives to be replicated. However if teachers and students themselves don’t want to change, the policy, no matter how good, is difficult to implement effectively. Therefore, we need consensus from stakeholders at all levels.

Do you collaborate with partners in other regions? If so, how?

We work closely with the local government and the Vietnam Women’s Union, a socio-political organization that represents the voice of women, to promote policies and programs which bring better benefits to vulnerable women. The Union is a mass organization in all levels, from central government to villages, and they play the role of implementer for so many policies related to women.

We also work with other organizations in the region depending on the kind and sector of projects in progress.

How does your work on waste relate to social justice?

Our work with women waste workers is social justice. Women waste pickers are informal employees and receive terrible income without social and health insurance. Women waste pickers contribute to the recycling sector and yet they are usually left to live in poverty.

We work to strengthen their capabilities and enable them to earn more income in a sustainable and circular way. There are lots of solutions all over the world, but the best solution are activities which meet the demand and capacity of local people and can be run by themselves. Therefore, local action is very important in our work.

I believe that waste management is better for women because women are more in touch with the domestic path. Women leading the waste management system can lead to better understanding and then better support to women waste workers in both formal and informal sectors.

Who do you admire most in the environmental work (in your country or in the world)?

I admire so many people. Everyone has strong points. But it is women waste pickers whom I consider our silent heroes. Not known but they contribute a lot to protect our Mother Gaia. When I organize meetings with them, I feel their positive energy. Women waste workers take pride in their work, and know that this work not only caters for them but also protects the natural environment. Their tasks might seem menial but are for our Earth.

A drop of water makes our ocean so we need small but regular efforts from every individual, especially waste collectors and pickers, to keep our Earth green.

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Interested in empowering women waste workers in Vietnam? Check out www.csrd.vn and support their ongoing internal research on waste production to identify the value chain of waste, production, and consumption. More funds can support other sectors that this all-women team want to investigate. CSRD is a member of the Vietnam Zero Waste Alliance (VZWA), a network of organizations and citizens who share a strategy for applying Zero Waste practices to better manage solid waste, reduce plastics, save natural resources, and protect Vietnam’s environment.

Photos courtesy of CSRD-Hue

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