15 million informal waste workers and their families risk losing their livelihood due to the current pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the way we handle our waste and its impact on those that are most vulnerable to its exposure. For millions of people who make a living in the informal sector, isolation measures that guarantee their safety pose a dramatic threat to their livelihoods. People in the informal waste sector who do not have formal recognition and protections from their municipalities-- are now facing a grave threat.
#breakfreefromplastic changemaker Magdalena Donoso at the
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives says, “...the responsibility of governments is an urgent demand: it is essential to pass immediate alleviative measures of social protection for these workers, ensuring a minimum income that covers their basic needs for food, housing and medicines until their work is restored to normal.”
