FROM RECLAIMER INTEGRATION TO GETTING INTEGRATED INTO THEIR RECYCLINGSCAPE: THREE STORIES FROM BRAZIL

ABSTRACT: Catadores in Brazil, reclaimers in South Africa, diverters in Canada, recyclers (recicladores) in other South American countries, waste pickers in India and all over the world. Who are informal workers acting at the core of the circular economy? Identifying and acknowledging their role in the economic, social and political system is not merely a semantic exercise but a critical intervention in transforming waste governance, changing our understanding of waste and waste production, and doing justice to a population whose rights have historically been denied. Focusing on Brazil, where catadores are formally recognized as a professional category by law and in official job classifications and statistics, this study supports the recognition of catadores’ work as a political work, and the need to overcome a charity-driven, paternalistic perspective that reproduces marginalization rather than supporting integration. A research agenda is put forward to advance the debate on integration and reclimers from a transformative (i.e., systemic change) perspective.