New Global Initiative Seeks to Enhance Working Conditions for Informal Plastic Waste Workers

Not many of my clients have yet included their waste management sites (garbage collections, recycling centers, waste management plants) in scope of their human rights program, but their workforce should most certainly not be overlooked.

Recently, I came across a promising approach for companies looking to address human rights risks in their recycled plastic supply chains, namely the Harmonized Responsible Sourcing Framework from the NGO The Circulate Initiative.

As this article of Edie writes: “It is hoped that, as plastic recycling value chains scale up, this framework can help to address prevailing human rights issues faced by [often informal] waste workers, including low pay, forced labo[u]r and exposure to health and safety risks.”

It is estimated that approximately 20 million people work informally in waste management, with the majority based in the global South, accounting for roughly 60% of the global recycling workforce.