Context
Despite being the backbone of Delhi’s recycling system, the city’s 1.5 lakh waste pickers — who divert nearly one-third of the capital’s waste from overfilled landfills — remain excluded from the formal solid waste management framework.
A new report by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group calls for their integration into the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for plastics, recognising their vital environmental and economic role.
Key Highlights
- Informal Sector’s Contribution
- Delhi generates 11,300 tonnes of waste daily, of which:
- 7,000 tonnes go to four waste-to-energy plants,
- Around 2,000 tonnes of recyclables are processed daily by informal waste pickers.
- Waste pickers collect plastic, paper, metal, and glass from streets, households, dhalaos, and landfills — preventing tons of waste from reaching overburdened dumps like Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla.
- Declining Access and Livelihood Insecurity
- Privatization of waste handling through MCD concessionaires has reduced waste pickers’ access to materials.
- Many are barred from landfills or replaced by contractual workers.
- Women and elderly workers, who form the majority, are most affected — losing jobs first under efficiency-driven systems.
- Many now return to low-paying factory or domestic work due to loss of livelihood.
- Socio-economic Vulnerabilities
- Most workers lack ID cards, social security, or health insurance.
- Life expectancy is estimated at just 39 years, far below the national average.
- Some workers pay informal “fees” to continue operations or segregate waste in their homes, risking their health and that of their children.
- Government Schemes and Gaps
- The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme aims to integrate informal sanitation and waste workers into formal systems by:
- Providing ID cards, PPE kits, Ayushman Bharat coverage, training, and material recovery centres (MRFs).
- However, as of September 2025, only 42,127 workers have completed e-KYC validation, highlighting poor implementation and awareness.
- Most workers are unaware of the scheme or lack access to registration camps.
- Collective Efforts for Inclusion
- Organisations like Safai Sena and Chintan have created Micro Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in partnership with NDMC, employing women waste pickers under formal contracts.
- Example: Jharna Khatun, a waste picker turned MRF operator, now earns ₹15,000 per month and helps others register under NAMASTE.
- Chintan currently operates nine such facilities in Delhi, where women form about 80% of the workforce.
Structural and Policy Issues
- Waste pickers remain invisible in urban planning and EPR systems despite being critical to achieving Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and plastic waste targets.
- EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) frameworks for plastics rely on segregation and collection — areas where informal workers excel — but policy design excludes them from contracts, recognition, and payments.
- Mechanisation and private concessions risk displacing community-based waste systems that are more sustainable and equitable.