There is no circular economy without her: The role of women in waste management
At 6am, before most offices switch on their lights, she is already working. If she has gloves, she wears them. If she can afford a mask, she uses one. In front of her is a pile of plastic that doesn’t belong to her – bottles, sachets, food packaging, film. The leftovers of someone else’s convenience. […]
When waste management systems fail, workers pay the price
There is a hard truth at the heart of the global waste management conversation that rarely gets the attention it deserves. When waste systems fail, the consequences are not abstract nor theoretical. They are borne by people by workers whose bodies absorb the risk long before the rest of society feels any disruption. The landfill […]
Lives transformed: The human side of brand-led plastic recovery
Asase Foundation – Cashit! Ghana: Women leading Accra’s fight against sachet waste In Accra, the daily rhythm of life is shaped by water sachets. Small, plastic packets that provide affordable drinking water where pipes and bottles fall short. They are everywhere: tucked into street stalls, handed to commuters, carried by children on their way to […]
Protecting the Protectors: How SEArcular and AXA Are Transforming Lives and Tackling Indonesia’s Plastic Crisis
SEArcular waste Pickers’ in Indonesia Indonesia stands at the epicentre of the global pollution crisis. The world produces over 300 million tons of plastic annually, and a staggering 8 million tons of it ends up in the ocean. Unfortunately, Indonesia is the world’s second-largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution, responsible for dumping over 620,000 tons […]
Plastic Collective’s to Pledge to Improve Welfare of Plastic Waste Collectors in Emerging Nations
For almost eight years Plastic Collective has been working with remote and vulnerable communities around the world to address the plastic waste crisis where plastic leakage into nature is most extreme and destructive. Siblings Louise, Stephen and Dianne Hardman founded the business to address mismanaged plastic waste that leaks into oceans and nature and goes […]
Social-Plus: A new Standard for improving waste picker conditions
The estimated 20 million waste pickers operating around the world [1] provide around 60 percent of the global collection volume for plastic recycled material [2]. However, waste pickers receive little to no recognition for their essential contribution to circular economy, environmental protection, and collection services. They work in high-risk conditions and are exposed to market […]