Academic literature on the topic 'Informal Recycling Sector Assessment'

The present status of solid waste management reviewed into this article based in Lahore, Pakistan. Following UN-Habitat city profiling with involved systematic quantitative, qualitative assessment, governance features of the present waste management includes in and shows the present system, waste collection, transportation is the main concentration and producing 74,000 tons year-1 of organic compost. Lahore waste management system (LWMC) is low in their target market consulted in decision making (inclusivity) and bad performance (governance features). Formal waste management system having backward of the informal system, which is absolutely inconsistent with current waste management systems. Watchful arranging and organization proposed here to reduce the trouble by integrating informal waste management system into formal waste management system for shared advantages. The integrated sustainable waste management (ISWM) indicators used for different levels of income class and LWMC performance in Lahore. Recommendation builds for the public awareness for recycling and to make the integrating informal sector sustainable system and fill the historical data gap.

Plastic materials account for about 20% of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The recycling of this plastic fraction is a complex issue, heavily conditioned by the content of harmful additives, such as brominated flame retardants. Thus, the management and reprocessing of WEEE plastics pose environmental and human health concerns, mainly in developing countries, where informal recycling and disposal are practiced. The objective of this study was twofold. Firstly, it aimed to investigate some of the available options described in the literature for the re-use of WEEE plastic scraps in construction materials, a promising recycling route in the developing countries. Moreover, it presents an evaluation of the impact of these available end-of-life scenarios on the environment by means of the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In order to consider worker health and human and ecological risks, the LCA analysis focuses on ecotoxicity more than on climate change. The LCA evaluation confirmed that the plastic re-use in the construction sector has a lower toxicity impact on the environment and human health than common landfilling and incineration practices. It also shows that the unregulated handling and dismantling activities, as well as the re-use practices, contribute significantly to the impact of WEEE plastic treatments.

Informal e-waste recycling is associated with several health hazards. Thus far, the main focus of research in the e-waste sector has been to assess the exposure site, such as the burden of heavy metals or organic pollutants. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the health consequences associated with informal e-waste recycling. A questionnaire-based assessment regarding occupational information, medical history, and current symptoms and complaints was carried out with a group of n = 84 e-waste workers and compared to a control cohort of n = 94 bystanders at the e-waste recycling site Agbogbloshie. E-waste workers suffered significantly more from work-related injuries, back pain, and red itchy eyes in comparison to the control group. In addition, regular drug use was more common in e-waste workers (25% vs. 6.4%). Both groups showed a noticeable high use of pain killers (all workers 79%). The higher frequency of symptoms in the e-waste group can be explained by the specific recycling tasks, such as burning or dismantling. However, the report also indicates that adverse health effects apply frequently to the control group. Occupational safety trainings and the provision of personal protection equipment are needed for all workers.

Abstract Background Electrical and electronic waste or e-waste is emerging as a major public health threat worldwide because of rapid advances in technology leading to the generation of large amount of wastes and a lack of knowledge in handling of these wastes. Objective The current review discusses the current e-waste problem worldwide, as a public health concern, with a specific focus on India and recommendations to have effective e-waste management. Methods This is a traditional review study. The burden of e-waste, regulations and its impact on health and the environment at the global and country level were identified using various search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and ScienceDirect. Books, case studies, legislation documents, reports, original articles and other documents from international organizations and specific governmental agency websites were retrieved. In total, 33 original articles, reports, case studies and documents were used for this review. Results In 2016, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste was generated with 2 million tonnes produced in India alone. Out of this, only 20% of the e-waste generated globally was handled properly. The situation is worse in India where more than 90% of the e-waste was handled by informal sector workers. An important problem with the process is that they do not take necessary precautionary measures before handling e-waste. Components which are not suitable for reuse are burnt openly or disposed of through open dumping. Most of the informal sector workers are illiterate making them unaware of the hazardous chemicals that can be released later into the water sources and the environment. Conclusion The current review shows that the e-waste poses a serious global public health threat leading to significant environmental and health risks. Most of the developing countries including India were found to be lagging behind in the implementation of environmentally sound formal recycling processes. Hence, a better life cycle assessment model which have been successfully implemented in other developing countries should be introduced in India.

Municipalities in metropolitan cities of developing countries often find it difficult to cope with the onerous task of providing waste services to their citizens due to financial constraints and poor infrastructure. In most of these cities, waste collection services are grossly inadequate as less than half the population is served with regular and efficient waste services. However, the shortcomings of the formal waste management system are compensated by the activities of the informal sector engaged in waste collection and make significant contributions to the MWMS through material recovery and waste recycling. In view of this, the study focuses on the roles of the formal and informal sector in municipal waste management with regards to their impacts on the recycling rate of Lagos State. In this study, we measured and compared the recycling rates between the formal and informal sectors to determine their impacts on the recycling rates of Lagos State. The study relies on primary field data, site visits and observations backed by secondary sources to investigate the range of informal sector activities in comparison to the formal sector. The findings indicate that, while both sub-sectors play significant roles in the MWMS, the informal recycling activities contribute more to the recycling rate of Lagos state than the formal sector.

The integration of the informal recycling sector into formal waste management systems is imperative to the implementation of the circular economy in the Global South. In Argentina, after the 2001 crisis, some large cities such as Buenos Aires greatly improved their informal recycling sector integration. In medium-size cities from the rest of the province, this was not the case. However, the formation of a national coalition between different sectors of what is now called the ‘popular economy’ forced the enactment, in the context of a new crisis, of a Social Emergency Law, which includes a Complementary Social Salary equivalent to half the minimum wage, among its main features. In this paper, we recap these recent changes and we use the InteRa framework in a case study to measure how, along with academic and civil society support actions, they influenced the informal recycling sector integration in an intermediate city of Buenos Aires province. Our results show that the inclusion of the informal recycling sector improved rapidly after the availability of the Complementary Social Salary. Nevertheless, we registered a hard-to-overcome stagnation in some indicators of the InteRa framework, related to the weak engagement of the local municipal government with the informal recycling sector. Importantly, the advent of the Complementary Social Salary was not reflected in any indicator because there is no specific action related to this aspect in the InteRa framework. This may give an insight into future methodology improvement.

At present, most of China’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (hereafter referred to as WEEE) flow into the informal recycling sector, which has no official disassembly certification. To regulate the WEEE recycling industry, the policy of the WEEE disposal fund has been implemented to levy recycling fees from producers and subsidize the formal recycling sector. This paper aims to solve the challenging problem of how to optimize recycling fees and subsidies. We first study the competition between the formal and informal sectors, and construct the game models of the dismantling and refurbishing processes. Based on the equilibrium outcomes, we then examine the impact of the disposal fund on producers, as well as the formal and informal recycling sectors. With the goal of maximizing social welfare and maintaining a balanced budget for the disposal fund, we study the optimal recycling fee levied on producers and the corresponding subsidy provided to the formal sector. Social welfare is a function of producer and formal-recycler profits, consumer surplus, and the negative externality caused by informal dismantling and refurbishing, such as environmental pollution and safety problems. Results show that the use of subsidy can increase the acquisition quantity of used products in the formal sector, but the increase will slow down with higher subsidy. If the recycling fee that producers are charged is small, social welfare will be improved. In addition, as the fee is increased, social welfare will rise first and then fall. As such, any excessive increase in recycling fees should be avoided.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused most waste recycling activities to be terminated due to several factors, such as concerns about the spread of coronavirus through the collected solid waste. This study investigates the socio-economic impact of the situation of the closed-loop system of solid waste recycling. Several recommendations for tackling this problem are presented in this research. Primary data collection for the waste bank and informal recycling sector was carried out in the eastern part of Surabaya during large-scale social restrictions. In-depth interviews were conducted with waste bank customers, waste bank unit representatives and the informal recycling sector to understand the pandemic’s socio-economic impact on the closed-loop system. Results show that this pandemic has significant impacts on individuals and stakeholders engaged in waste recycling activities. Customers of waste banks, who mostly belong to low-income communities, mentioned that the waste bank closure gave rise to social and economic problems, such as increasing unmanaged solid waste and decreasing income. This result also applied to the informal recycling sector. The government can use the recommendations in this study to generate related policies, such as enforcing the health protocol within solid waste management to keep the recycling system in place and the business alive.

End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) can act as a source of secondary raw materials at the same time can pose a severe threat to our ecosystem if the ELVs are handled unscientifically. Globally, abundant research is being carried out on obsolete vehicles to harness energy and to reduce negative impacts on the environment. India, characterized by an informal ELV handling sector has achieved material recovery and recycling efficiency up to some extent but lacks in the incorporation of eco-friendly management of ELVs, and this issue needs to be addressed along with the problems of social and economic sustainability of the firm. The research work is intended to study the prevailing status of ELV handling in India. The current situation is represented by comparing ELV handling capacities of various firms and future ELVs. Also, an assessment of shared responsibility of critical stakeholders is depicted using a radar chart, and relative importance of their involvement is represented. Research also presents a comparative study of ELV legislative policies of different countries. Linear regression is applied to predict the values of ELVs in major Indian cities. Suitable methodologies are employed to collect the required data, and the findings are discussed using illustrative graphs and tables.

The aim of this thesis was to study governance aspects of informal electronic waste recycling and to provide better knowledge of the business in terms of structure, stakeholders, governance aspects and social impacts. The thesis consists of a cover essay and two papers appended at the end of the thesis. The cover essay summarizes the papers and puts them in context. The objective of Paper I is to study the business of informal electronic waste recycling in Pakistan and highlight its governance issues. Paper II assesses the social impacts of this business using UNEP-SETAC Guidelines. The thesis examines these specific questions: Q1) What is the current situation of informal e-waste recycling in Pakistan? Q2) Who are the important stakeholders and what are their roles in this business? Q3) What are the governance issues enabling this informal business? Q4) What are the social impacts for individuals and society arising from this business? Paper I presents the international and local e-waste flows, business structure, the stakeholders involved and the existing governance issues of the business. It shows weak enforcement of legislation, the complexities emerging with numerous stakeholders, the profitability of informal recycling, little concern for the health damaging exposure for workers from poorest and most vulnerable people in society, and the lack of awareness of the hazards involved results in several governance issues. The paper also highlights how this business lacks characteristics of good governance, which makes it a challenge to control this business. Paper II assesses the social impacts of informal e-waste recycling in Pakistan using UNEP/SETAC guidelines for conducting a Social Lifecycle Analysis (SLCA). It showed that this business has positive impacts relating to societal issues and individual/family economics, and in the economic development of Pakistan but otherwise most impacts were negative. The findings of Paper II fill an important data gap and can be integrated with data on other stages of ICT product lifecycle to produce a full SLCA of such products.
Syftet med denna avhandling var att studera styrningsaspekter informella återvinning elektroniskt avfall och för att ge bättre kunskap om verksamheten i fråga om struktur, intressenter, styrningsaspekter och sociala konsekvenser. Avhandlingen består av en täck uppsats och två tidningar bifogade i slutet av uppsatsen. Locket uppsats samman tidningarna och sätter dem i sitt sammanhang. Syftet med papper I är att studera verksamheten i informella återvinning elektroniskt avfall i Pakistan och belysa dess styrningsfrågor. Papper II bedömer de sociala konsekvenserna av denna verksamhet med hjälp av UNEP-SETAC riktlinjer. Avhandlingen undersöker dessa specifika frågor: Q1) Vad är den nuvarande situationen för informella återvinnings e-avfall i Pakistan? Q2) Vilka är de viktigaste intressenterna och vilka är deras roller i den här branschen? Q3) Vilka styrningsfrågor som möjliggör denna informella företag? Q4) Vilka är de sociala konsekvenserna för enskilda och samhället som följer av detta företag? Papper I presenterar internationella och lokala e-avfallsflöden, företagsstruktur, de inblandade aktörerna och de befintliga styrningsfrågor i verksamheten. Det visar en svag tillämpning av lagstiftningen, komplexiteten växande med många intressenter, lönsamheten för informella återvinning, lite oro för hälsan skadliga exponering för arbetstagare från de fattigaste och mest utsatta människorna i samhället, och bristen på medvetenhet om de risker inblandade resultaten i flera styrningsfrågor. Papperet belyser också hur denna verksamhet saknar egenskaper för god förvaltning, vilket gör det till en utmaning att styra denna verksamhet. Papper II bedömer de sociala konsekvenserna av informella återvinnings e-avfall i Pakistan använder UNEP / SETAC riktlinjer för att genomföra en social livscykelanalys (SLCA). Det visade sig att denna verksamhet har positiva effekter avseende samhällsfrågor och individ / familj ekonomi, och i den ekonomiska utvecklingen i Pakistan men annars de flesta effekterna var negativa. Resultaten av pappers II fyller ett viktigt tomrum uppgifter och kan integreras med uppgifter om andra stadier av IKT produktlivscykeln för att producera en full SLCA av sådana produkter.

QC 20150525

It has been recognised that the informal E-waste recycling may pose a risk to human health and the environment, this study aims to evaluate the e-waste contamination and the environmental and human health impact of informal e-waste recycling on the exposed population using the risk assessment framework. The distribution of a number of heavy metals in soil from an informal recycling site in the largest market for used and new electronics and electrical equipment in West Africa was investigated. The extent of pollution, potential bioavailability of heavy metals, potential risk due to the recycling activities and impact of external factors such as rainfall were assessed. In recent times, bioaccessibility has emerged as a testing tool used to accurately estimate the risk posed on human health by exposure to environmental contaminants, the oral bioaccessibility and inhalation bioaccessibility was also assessed. The concentrations of all the identified metals in the recycling site were consistently higher than values obtained from the control site, suggesting the impact of the recycling activities on the soil. The order of total metal concentration was Cu > Pb > Zn > Mn > Ni > Sb > Cr > Cd for both the dry and wet season. The total concentration of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn where was significantly higher (p≤0.001) in the dry season than in the wet season. The concentrations of Cu (329-7106 mg kg-1), Pb (115-9623 mg kg-1) and Zn (508-8178 mg kg-1) were consistently higher than the international soil guideline values. Using a sequential extraction method, the potential bioavailability of the metals was indicated as Cd > Sb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr, suggesting Cd was the most potentially available. Assessing the risk using the Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI), Cu was found to contribute the most to the potential ecological risk and Cd the greatest concern due to its high toxic-response factor within the study site and the Risk Assessment Code (RAC) suggested Cd posed the most risk in this site. Furthermore, the oral bioaccessibility test showed that less than 40% of the total concentration of all the identified metals was potentially available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. In the inhalation bioaccessiblity, with the exception of Cd, the percentage bioaccessibility of the other metals was less than 35% after 120 hours. The health risk characterization indicated the adverse human health effect through the ingestion pathway and a relative lower probability of risk through the inhalation of pathway. This study established a high level of contamination as a result of the informal recycling activities, underscores the importance of applying speciation and bioaccessibility and bioavailability in risk assessment. Finally, in an attempt to evaluate the risk, the study proposed an integrated risk assessment framework which when tried and tested is aimed to positively influence the risk judgement and ultimately risk management decisions whereby providing valuable insights that would translate to an efficient and sustainable management system at the long run.

A number of issues in the thesis need to be clarified and will be discussed individually below. The term Third World, which is used in the thesis to describe developing countries in a disadvantageous economic position in relation to developed countries, is unsatisfactory. It is a collective term which combines countries with dissimilar cultures, ideologies and future prospects into one category (De Souza & Porter, 1974). Debate continues whether South Africa can be classified as a First or Third World country (Fair, 1982). Rogerson & Beavon (1980) indicate that South Africa can be described as dichotomous because it reflects characteristics of both First and Third World countries. In comparison De Souza & Porter (1974,1) include South Africa among the Third World countries, because four-fifths of the people have an income that is six times less than the income of the other fifth, and they live in a condition of underdevelopment. Conditions in Fingo Village resemble those described by De Souza & Porter (1974) and hence the results of the Fingo Village survey are compared with similar studies, elsewhere in the Third World. However, it would be naive to assume that Fingo Village is unaffected by development within the core regions of South Africa, which in many instances epitomize the First World. The term informal sector, used throughout the thesis, is also unsatisfactory, and debate continues as theorists attempt to find a more appropriate term. Santos (1979) indicates that the term informal sector is contentious, by placing it in single quotation marks. From the literature survey it emerged that the majority of authors did not follow Santos' convention (1979) and thus it seemed acceptable to use the term, informal sector, without placing it in single quotation marks. Chapter Two deals in-depth with the problem of defining the informal sector, and a working definition for the Fingo Village survey is presented in section 2.4.1. The informal sector embraces a wide diversity of economic activities. Due to the limited time and funds available, it was decided to isolate one aspect of this sector, namely, hawking. Sections 2.3 and 2.7 of Chapter Two indicate that hawking is an exemplary informal sector activity. All the different hawking types could not be given close attention and therefore, for practical purposes, it was decided to select one facet of hawking, namely, fruit and vegetable hawkers. Mobile fruit and vegetable hawkers were excluded from the study as it was impossible, during the mapping survey, to isolate a specific hawking site for each mobile hawker. Furthermore, a mobile hawker could easily be enumerated on more than one occasion, and hence a margin of error would automatically occur in the study. This was another reason for excluding mobile hawkers from the study and merely focusing upon static and semi-static fruit and vegetable hawkers. It is difficult to collect comprehensive quantitative data on informal sector activities (Preston-Whyte et al, 1984). The interviewer has to gain the confidence and trust of the subjects. The interviewer for the Fingo Village survey was a well known local personality and a man of some standing in the Black community. Daniel Sandi was the Secretary, of the Grahamstown Association (GRACA), which was reputed to have the support of the majority of the Black residents in Grahamstown until it was banned under the State of Emergency in July 1985. Daniel Sandi was also known for his contribution in literary circles as an epic poet. His previous experience conducting socio-economic surveys, as a researcher for the Border Council of Churches and as the Teba Research Assistant for the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Rhodes University, was also helpful. Sporadic unrest in the study area, from September 1984 and throughout 1985, prevented further fieldwork from being conducted in Fingo Village.

As global solid waste management systems evolve to include wider elements of sustainability, developing countries are struggling with how best to work with a growing informal sector. This research seeks to investigate how developing country mainstream solid waste management systems can harness the opportunities presented through the informal recycling sector. This research explores the dialogue around „formalisation of the informal‟ and „integration of informal recycling sector into mainstream solid waste management systems‟, approaching this from an informal sector perspective. The research endeavours to offer insights to this discourse from an inclusive, social innovation approach. The research looks at what business models the informal recycling sector use as they adopt or adapt industrialised practices and how these harness inclusion and social innovation. The research area is Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with the informal recycling sector as case study. The main research question is “How can we harness inclusion and social innovation as the informal sector transitions into mainstream economic spaces?” The research employs an inductive qualitative approach through a rapid ethnography, focus group discussions and semi-structured key informant interviews. Key concepts explored in this research include „circumstantial social entrepreneurship‟, „generational informality‟, „value chain alliances‟, „public, private, community and informal sector partnerships (PPCIPs)‟ and „inclusive development as a pre-requisite to formalisation‟. By unpacking the business models employed by the informal recycling sector and how inclusive, social innovation opportunities inherent in these can be harnessed during the transition from shadow to mainstream economy spaces, this research intends to offer progressive approaches on how to unlock shared value during the graduation of the informal recycling sector from shadow to mainstream socio-economic spaces. Additionally, the outputs of this research aim to contribute to context-specific knowledge on types of non traditional social entrepreneurial activity within informal spaces and how these push boundaries of inclusive, social innovation.

The handling of wastes is an eternal problem, all societies are confronted to this issue. Their origins are very diverse, they could come from industrial activities, power production, shops, retail or household for instance. While in developed countries the collection is generally efficient and the disposal safe, the situation in developing countries is different. The municipal budget does not allow the construction of advanced and expensive methods of disposal and the collection suffer from the age of vehicles. This generalisation is nevertheless not totally truth as the situation is extremely depend on the country but also of the city considered. Each city will need to adapt its waste management according to its size, climate, wealth, culture, etc... This report will focus on a Namibian medium town, Tsumeb. The aim is to be able to draw a clear picture of the waste management currently achieved. When the situation is well known, new directions to make Tsumeb refuse management more sustainable can be decided. Implementing progressively an integrated waste management (IWM) is a solution to the waste problem as it is considering economic, social and environmental impacts. A waste characterization was done in order to know the exact amount and composition of the waste generated in Tsumeb to implement afterwards the most suitable solution. The refuse of Tsumeb are surprisingly very similar to high income country. Moreover the stakeholders involved in recycling were investigated. A small informal sector is already making a living by recycling a few materials as glass bottle and cans. There is also a possibility to include extra stakeholder in the recycling process in Tsumeb. Recycling companies, recycling organization or investors are also important stakeholder who can be include in Tsumeb recycling plan. Developing recycling in Tsumeb is facing some challenges but it is also full of opportunities. The main issue when it comes to recycling in Namibia is the long transportation distances what makes it expensive. Furthermore, most of the recovered materials have to be sent in South Africa because Namibia does not possess the necessary industries to recycle paper and glass for instance. On another hand the presence in Tsumeb of a small informal sector already working with waste is promising. The workers could be more organized and the municipality can also helping them with logistic and storage to improve the recycling done. The dump site will also be close within the next years and a new sanitary landfill will be open. It will be a great opportunity to implement a recycling facility on site. Informal workers working on the landfill will be more controlled, to avoid for instance children labour. Some stricter health and safety measure can be decided, to give better working condition to the informal manpower. The development of recycling activities in Tsumeb will be highly beneficial to the community. It will create jobs for the poorest part of the population, decrease the cost of the waste management, reduce the pollution and stimulate the local economy.

Durant els darrers 50 anys, la implementació de sistemes integrats de gestió de residus gestionats pels municipis a Europa ha comportat la professionalització del sector, deixant poc marge per al sector informal del reciclatge. No obstant això, des de l’última dècada han sorgit nous grups socials, generalment immigrants, que han trobat en aquest sector una nova forma de vida. En moltes ciutats catalanes, la recollida informal de residus és una activitat cada vegada més present, que proporciona ingressos econòmics a persones que no poden treballar en el sector laboral formal, ja sigui per la seva condició de manca de ciutadania o per trobar-se en situacions d’exclusió social. Tot i que els treballadors informals del reciclatge són presents a tot Catalunya, hi ha poc coneixement, especialment en el món acadèmic, sobre la seva prevalença, sobre la contribució del seu treball a l’assoliment d’objectius ambientals i sobre com aquest treball està afectant el sistema formal de residus. A més, tot i que suposen un benefici ambiental per a la societat, les persones que s’hi dediquen reben poc o cap reconeixement social per la feina que estan fent. Per això, aquesta investigació intenta respondre la pregunta de ‘quin paper juga i com és valorat el sector informal en l’assoliment dels objectius ambientals d’una societat?’ Per respondre aquesta pregunta, al temps que es reconeixen els perjudicis socioambientals que pateix el sector del reciclatge informal des d’un marc teòric de justícia ambiental, s’ha emprat les teories de Henri Lefebvre sobre les dimensions de l’espai urbà (percebut, concebut i viscut) i sobre la seva noció de bens comuns urbans, com una forma de problematitzar a qui pertanyen els residus. Per a aquesta investigació, s’utilitza un enfocament metodològic mixt per intentar respondre a la pregunta principal mitjançant entrevistes, observació participant, qüestionaris i mètodes comparatius. Aquest enfocament proporciona dades quantitatives per a comprendre l’impacte de el sector informal de residus, juntament amb dades qualitatives per comprendre la realitat social en la que aquest existeix. Per aquesta investigació s’ha realitzat un estudi de cas a la ciutat catalana de Granollers per a recopilar dades empíriques, juntament amb diverses entrevistes addicionals en altres municipis de tot Catalunya. Els resultats mostren que, tot i que sempre ha existit un sector informal vinculat al reciclatge a Catalunya, les persones que actualment es dediquen a aquesta activitat no reben el mateix grau de respecte, ja que estan formats per immigrants i grups ètnics que vénen de l’estranger, sovint en situacions d’il·legalitat, i que, al seu torn, compten amb les seves pròpies divisions socials i ètniques. A més, l’anàlisi mostra que els espais en què opera el sector informal de reciclatge determinen la propietat i l’accés dels materials, així com l’experiència viscuda dels treballadors informals. La relació entre els sectors del reciclatge formal i informal és simbiòtica. Tot i que des del sector formal no es considera l’informal com a part de el sistema de gestió de residus, i s’utilitza el seu poder per a limitar-li l’accés als recursos, tots dos operen en una relació de co-dependència, on cada un es veu afectat per l’altre, en unes relacions que es van ajustant d’acord a factors externs, com els preus de mercat global. Finalment, tot i que s’observa que l’experiència viscuda pel sector del reciclatge informal exemplifica bé la distribució desigual de riscos ambientals, de càrregues tòxiques i d’injustícies socials que existeixen al voltant del sistema de gestió de residus, cal tenir en compte que les persones que es dediquen al reciclatge informal són també habitants de la ciutat i que, per tant, han de tenir dret a unes condicions de vida i treball dignes.
En los últimos 50 años, la implementación de sistemas integrados de gestión de residuos gestionados por los municipios en Europa ha llevado a la profesionalización del sector, dejando poco espacio para el sector informal del reciclaje. Sin embargo, desde la última década han surgido nuevos grupos sociales, generalmente inmigrantes, que han encontrado en este sector una nueva forma de vida. En muchas ciudades catalanas, la recogida informal de residuos es una actividad cada vez más presente, que proporciona ingresos económicos a las personas que no pueden trabajar en el sector laboral formal, ya sea por su condición de ciudadanía, o por situaciones de exclusión social. Aunque la presencia de trabajadores informales del reciclaje se percibe en toda Cataluña, existe poco conocimiento, especialmente en el mundo académico, sobre su prevalencia, sobre la contribución que su trabajo está haciendo en relación con los objetivos medioambientales y sobre cómo su trabajo está afectando al sistema formal de residuos. Además, aunque suponen un beneficio ambiental para la sociedad, reciben poco o ningún reconocimiento por el trabajo que están haciendo, y no está claro por qué. Esta investigación intenta responder a la pregunta, ¿qué papel juega y cómo es valorado el sector informal en relación con los objetivos ambientales de una sociedad? Para responder a esta pregunta, al tiempo que se reconocen los perjuicios socioambientales que sufre el sector del reciclaje informal desde un marco teórico de justicia ambiental, se añaden dos propuestas teóricas del escritor francés Henri Lefebvre, las tres dimensiones del espacio urbano (percibido, concebido y vivido) y su noción de bienes comunes, que ayuda a considerar quién puede acceder y beneficiarse de los materiales percibidos como residuos. Para esta investigación, se utiliza un enfoque metodológico mixto para tratar de responder a la pregunta principal mediante entrevistas, observación participante, cuestionarios y métodos comparativos. Este enfoque proporciona datos cuantitativos para comprender el impacto del sector informal de residuos, junto con datos cualitativos para comprender la realidad social donde existen. Para esta investigación, se realizó un estudio de caso en la ciudad catalana de Granollers para recopilar datos empíricos, junto con diversas entrevistas adicionales en otros municipios de toda Cataluña. Los resultados muestran que, aunque siempre ha existido un sector informal del reciclaje en Cataluña, las personas que actualmente se dedican a esta actividad no reciben el mismo nivel de respeto, ya que están formados por inmigrantes y grupos étnicos que vienen del extranjero, y que, a su vez, cuentan con sus propias divisiones sociales y étnicas. Además, el análisis muestra que los espacios en los que opera el sector informal de reciclaje determinan la propiedad y el acceso al material, así como la experiencia vivida por los trabajadores informales. La relación entre el sector del reciclaje formal e informal es simbiótica. Aunque el sector del reciclaje formal no ve lo informal como parte del sistema de gestión de residuos y utiliza su poder para limitar su acceso a los recursos, ambos operan en una relación codependiente, donde cada uno se ve afectado por el otro, en unas relaciones que se van ajustando de acuerdo a factores externos, como los precios del mercado global. Finalmente, aunque la experiencia vivida del sector del reciclaje informal ejemplifica bien la distribución desigual de los riesgos ambientales, las cargas tóxicas y las injusticias sociales que existen alrededor del sistema de gestión de residuos, hay que tener en cuenta que las personas que se dedican al reciclaje informal son también habitantes de la ciudad y que, por lo tanto, tienen derecho a unas condiciones de vida y trabajo dignas.
Over the last 50 years, the implementation of municipally-run integrated waste management systems in Europe has led to the professionalization of the sector, leaving little room for the informal recycling sector. However, since the last decade, new social groups have emerged, usually immigrants, who have found in this sector a new way of life. In many Catalan cities, the informal collection of waste is an increasingly present activity, providing economic income to people who cannot work in the formal labor sector, either because of their citizenship status, or due to situations of social exclusion. Though the presence of informal recyclers is noticed through-out Catalonia, there is little understanding, especially in the academic world, of their prevalence, the contributions that their work is making towards environmental goals, and how their work is affecting the formal waste system. Furthermore, though they are performing an environmental benefit to society, they are receiving little to no recognition for the work that they are doing, and it is unclear why. This investigation attempts to answer the question, how is informality valued with regard to the environmental goals of a society? In order to answer this question, while at the same time recognizing the socio-environmental disadvantages the informal recycling sector has within the larger societal structure, an environmental justice perspective is employed as a theoretical framework. Within the environmental justice framework, two other frameworks from the French writer Henri Lefebvre are also employed. The first is Lefebvre’ s (1991) three views of space that exist within the urban core: perceived (physical), conceived (mental), and lived, to help understand how space shapes the informal recyclers’ work. The second is Lefebvre’ s (1968) views of the commons that help consider who can access and benefit from materials perceived as waste. For this investigation, a mixed-method approach is used to try and answer the main question using interviews, participatory observation, questionnaires, and comparative research methods. This approach provides quantitative data to understand the impact of the informal waste sector, along with qualitative data to understand the social reality where they exist. For this investigation, a case study was performed in the Catalan city of Granollers to collect empirical data, along with additional interviews with other municipalities throughout Catalonia in order to answer the main question. The results show that though there has always been an informal recycling sector in Catalonia, the current members are not given the same level of respect since they are made up of immigrants and ethnic groups that come from abroad, and who have their own divisions and ethnic identities. As well, analysis shows that the spaces that the informal recycling sector operate dictate ownership and access of material, as well as the lived experience of the recyclers. The relationship between the formal and informal recycling sector is somewhat symbiotic. Though the formal recycling sector does not view the informal as a part of the waste management system and uses its power to limit access of the resources, they still operate in a co-dependent relationship, where each is affected by the other, and adjusts according to global market prices. Finally, although the lived experience of the informal recycling sector best exemplifies the unequal distribution of environmental risks and toxic burdens coupled with environmental and social injustices that exist within the waste management system, the informal recycling sector are inhabitants of the city, and therefore have a right to it.

Research has demonstrated that mining activities can cause serious impacts on the environment, as well as the surrounding communities, mainly due to the unsafe storage of mine tailings. This research focuses on the sustainability assessment of new technologies for the recovery of metals from mine residues. The assessment consists in the evaluation of the environmental, economic, and social impacts through the Life Cycle based methods: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA). The analyses are performed on the Mondo Minerals bioleaching project, which aim is to recover nickel and cobalt from the Sotkamo and Vuonos mine tailings. The LCA demonstrates that the project contributes to the avoided production of nickel and cobalt concentrates from new resources, hence reducing several environmental impacts. The LCC analysis shows that the company’s main costs are linked to the bioleaching process, caused by electricity consumption and the chemicals used. The SLCA analyses the impacts on three main stakeholder categories: workers, local community, and society. The results demonstrated that a fair salary (or the absence of it) impacts the workers the most, while the local community stakeholder category impacts are related to the access to material resources. The health and safety category is the most impacted category for the society stakeholder. The environmental and economic analyses demonstrate that the recovery of mine tailings may represents a good opportunity for mine companies both to reduce the environmental impacts linked to mine tailings and to increase the profitability. In particular, the project helps reduce the amounts of metals extracted from new resources and demonstrates that the use of the bioleaching technology for the extraction of metals can be economically profitable.

Magister Economicae - MEcon
Livelihoods are essential for poverty alleviation. A poor person’s life cannot be transformed at all if the person has no means of earning a substantial income to sustain daily living. In today’s world many people rely on human capital for livelihoods. This is usually in the form of skills or educational qualifications that permit an individual to find employment. However, not every person is able to get meaningful employment which can generate an income to allow the person to live above the poverty lines. Generating an income from employment is not a livelihoods strategy that is available to many South Africans as the country has high unemployment rates and an economy that is performing poorly. In addition the overspill of institutionalised inequality from the apartheid era has many South Africans living in poverty. The South African government is promoting Small Micro and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMMEs) as a key strategy for job creation, economic growth for poverty alleviation and a reduction in inequalities. Many poor people in urban areas adopt micro enterprises as a livelihoods strategy. The research assessed the impact of micro enterprises on the livelihoods of low income households in Khayelitsha. The objectives of the research were; (a) to determine the impact that micro enterprises have on the livelihoods of low income households; (b) to ascertain how low income households identify micro enterprises as a livelihoods strategy; (c) to identify how household assets were allocated to livelihoods strategies; (d) to determine how low income households operate micro enterprises; and (e) to identify challenges faced by low income households in earning a livelihood through micro enterprises. A qualitative research design was used for the study because the aims of the research were to get an insight as to how people’s lives had transformed by adopting micro enterprises as a livelihoods strategy. To this end, in-depth interviews and observation data collection methods were employed. A study sample of 22 participants was drawn using non-probability sampling. Grounded theory was used for data analysis. Coded data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet which was used to generate graphs and tables. The findings indicate that micro enterprises as a livelihoods strategy have a positive impact on the livelihoods of many households in Khayelitsha. The impact is more significant because many households who engage in micro enterprises do not have other options for livelihoods strategies. Furthermore, many households reported to be better off operating a micro enterprise rather than being employed. Some households reported dissatisfaction with micro enterprises because they could not determine beforehand how much income would be generated making it difficult to plan monthly household expenditure. None the less micro enterprises enabled households to provide shelter, food, education for children and family members, health care and provision of household furniture. The results also indicate that for many micro enterprise owners the lack of financial capital was the biggest challenge because it prevented capital investment. High competition was also a challenge that a few owners were not able to overcome. On the whole the study concluded that micro enterprises are a good livelihoods strategy for the poor and could keep many South Africans above the poverty line.

AbstractThe handling of the Greek crisis was not successful. Despite the sacrifices that the Greek people had to endure, the country’s structural problems both in the public sector and the economy have not been resolutely resolved. This chapter offers an explanation for this failure. The main idea is to connect the externally imposed policy conditionality, with the particular characteristics of Greece’s domestic political economy, seeking to integrate an analysis of impediments and opportunities for structural reform. While the literature on external institutional constraints emphasizes the possibility for achieving convergence, the institutionalist literature points towards divergence among national political economies, as institutional change and policy performance are conditioned by crucial intervening variables, namely, aspects of the domestic institutional infrastructure. In this context, Greece is a paradigmatic case of long-delayed or stalled reforms despite external pressures that promoted them. While most attention has been paid to the weaknesses of the EMU, this analysis’ emphasis is on the role of crucial domestic factors. The analysis takes place in three steps: (a) the outline of Greece’s institutional profile and growth trajectory based on an analysis of formal and informal domestic institutions; (b) the description and analysis of the design, implementation and impact of the adjustment programs; and (c) in view of (a) and (b) an assessment of whether the adjustment programs implemented in Greece took into consideration the characteristics of the country’s political economy, and how and to what degree the failure to do so accounts for their results.

The chapter dwells on the theoretical and practical aspects of the informal sector involvement in the system of waste management in rural communities. First, the author discusses peculiar properties of the informal sector involvement such as social, economic, and environmental peculiarities. Second, organizing the informal sector in rural areas is considered. Such issues as the role of community members, organizational structures of community-based organizations, problems of community-based waste management, and directions of its solutions are covered. Third, the author provides summary of experience and policy recommendations for the integration of the informal sector in the waste management system in rural areas. The author concludes that policies facilitating the integration of the informal sector result in increasing recyclable recovery rates and reduction of total waste-management costs. Partnership with the informal recycling sector improves resource efficiency in rural areas and contributes to poverty reduction and environmental improvements.

European Union members seek to establish the principles of a circular economy, which is based on the efficient use of raw materials and resources. This requirement will have an impact on business and in particular on the road construction sector. Hence the need to improve the asphalt mixing plant (AMP) mixing technology utilizing as much as possible reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) to produce asphalt mixtures (AM) for road construction. The resources used to produce new AM in the world are endless and becoming more expensive in a time scale. The multi-cycle reuse of RAP producing AM is a priority, when thinking about of economical recycling materials usage and the saving of resources. The design and development of RAP hot recycling in-plant technologies has been in progress for approximately half a century. In high-level-economy countries, AM production currently processes on average approx. 80% of the amount of RAP using innovative techniques on AMPs. Design of various AMP, their assessment on the flexible application of innovative techniques depending on the RAP processing method, are described in this paper. In this paper different recycling technologies in AMP and their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed. The research result indicates technical possibilities hot recycling in-plant in Baltic countries. Local authorities, research institutes, road construction and road design companies could use these results in the future.

As sustainable building design practices become more prevalent in today’s construction market, designers are looking to alternative materials for novel design strategies. This paper presents a case study comparing the sustainability performance of cross laminated timber (CLT) and reinforced concrete. A comparative sustainability assessment of cross laminated timber and concrete, considering economic, environmental, and social aspects was performed. Environmental impact is measured in terms of CO2 equivalent, economic impact is measured with total sector cost (including sector interdependencies), and qualitative metrics were considered for social impact. In order to conduct an accurate performance comparison, a functional unit of building facade volume was chosen for each product. For this paper, several end-of-life strategies were modeled for CLT and concrete facades. To understand environmental, economic, and social impact, three different scenarios were analyzed to compare performance of both CLT and concrete, including cradle to gate product manufacturing, manufacturing with landfill end-of-life, and manufacturing with recycling end-of-life. Environmental LCA was modeled using GaBi 5.0 Education Edition, which includes its own database for elements including materials, processes, and transportation. To compare the economic impact, Carnegie Mellon’s EIO-LCA online tool is used. Finally, social life cycle impact was considered by identifying process attributes of both products that affect the social domain. Based on this analysis, the use of CLT has a significantly lower environmental impact than concrete, however there are additional costs.

This technical note encompasses Haiti's gender assessment, evaluates the success of gender specific actions implemented between 2011-2017, and presents a Gender and Transport Action Plan (GAP). The GAPs main aim is to guide investments in Haiti's transport sector in conceptualizing and designing gender-sensitive transport projects. By proposing specific gender actions and outcomes, the GAP establishes a clear path to integrate a gender dimension into operations design, implementation and, monitoring and evaluation. The GAP presents an overall plan to support the development of Haitian women. However, it focuses in the needs of women as transport services users and devotes specific attention to two female sub-groups, comprised by Haitian women engaged in informal trade of local and regional products. These women are known as Madan Sara (MS), and local female mango producers and traders (MPT). The decision of focusing on MS is related to their vital role in the Haitian local labor market and the peculiarity of their work, which has specific transport needs. Understanding and addressing these female groups transport constrains could strategically improve the outcomes of upcoming transport investments and bring more benefits to its beneficiaries.