How Waste Pickers in India Are Fighting Poverty – BORGEN

India – How Women Waste Pickers Are Fighting Poverty

LONDON, United Kingdom — India’s cities are getting cleaner. Recycling systems are expanding and waste management has become a visible part of urban policy. But behind this progress is a workforce that remains largely unseen. Waste pickers in India — millions of them — collect, sort and sell the materials that keep cities functioning, yet many remain trapped in poverty, serving their cities while reaping none of the rewards. Across India, estimates suggest between 1.5 million and 4 million people depend on waste picking for survival. The nonprofit Paryavaran Mitra, operating in Ahmedabad, is working to lift thousands of these workers out of poverty.

Waste-Picking: Uncovering a Silent Struggle

In Ahmedabad alone, nearly 30,000 women work as waste pickers, collectively handling around 600,000 kg of recyclable waste every day, often walking 8 to 10 km and earning as little as ₹100 to ₹140 daily.

The labor of this majority-female workforce is informal, unstable and dangerous. Workers handle toxic waste without protection, face serious health risks and often lack access to basic rights such as health care or social security.

Though this work sustains slum communities and India’s recycling economy, its workers remain among its most marginalized. Paryavaran Mitra, meaning “Friends of the Environment,” works with waste-picking women in slum communities, using environmental work as a tool to reduce poverty and restore dignity.

A Case Study in Change

For Punit Agrawal, who has worked with the organization since 2015, the impact of that work is deeply personal. He said that after visiting slum communities for the first time, he found himself drawn into the work and adapted to it over time. He described working in the social sector as more challenging than other fields but ultimately more satisfying, given the opportunity to support people who had been left behind.

The need for intervention becomes clear when looking at how the scrap economy has traditionally functioned. Before organizations like Paryavaran Mitra entered the market, waste pickers sold their materials to middlemen who controlled both pricing and information. Many were underpaid through rigged weighing systems or given prices far below market value. Evidence suggests workers in exploitative systems may receive as little as 59.5% of the true value of their materials, significantly reducing already fragile incomes.

The problem extended beyond wages. Moneylenders operating in these areas targeted vulnerable clients — the same workers — offering loans at extremely high interest rates. This combination of underpayment and debt created a cycle that was nearly impossible to escape.

Friends of the Environment and of Its People

Paryavaran Mitra intervened at precisely this point. Since 2014, it has established six to seven waste collection centers that operate transparently, using fair weights and fair prices. The difference in income can be significant. In one example, a waste picker selling cardboard could earn Rs. 200 at a fair center instead of Rs. 119 at an exploitative one.

Income alone, however, does not explain why many waste pickers remain poor. Agrawal noted that some workers earn around Rs. 2,000 a day but still cannot break out of poverty. Medical emergencies are common and often unaffordable. Without savings or access to formal credit, workers turn to high-interest loans. He explained that a loan of one lakh rupees can require Rs. 36,000 in interest alone, perpetuating the debt cycle.

Paryavaran Mitra’s model, therefore, goes beyond paying better wages. The organization provides-free loans in emergencies, helps workers access government welfare schemes and offers medical support.

To address immediate needs, the organization also runs a community food program that provides regular meals to some of the most vulnerable families it works with. Agrawal said the organization cooks meals three days a week for around 500 people from the waste-picker community. By providing meals throughout the week, the organization helps stabilize households, reduces financial strain and ensures that families are not forced to choose between food and their children’s education.

Sustainable Practices in an Unsustainable Industry

Since its inception, Paryavaran Mitra has recycled more than 6.42 million kg of waste, saving an estimated 170,000 trees and reducing more than 11,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Many women previously sorted waste inside their homes, exposing their families to health risks. With dedicated sorting centers, that burden has been reduced, creating cleaner and safer living environments.

Perhaps one of the most notable impacts of Paryavaran Mitra’s work is how it has reshaped the wider market. Agrawal said that when the organization began offering fair prices, other scrap dealers were forced to raise their rates as well. By introducing transparency, Paryavaran Mitra has reduced the information imbalance that once allowed exploitation to thrive, giving workers greater bargaining power.

Over time, the changes have gone deeper than economics. Agrawal has observed shifts in behavior and mindset within the communities the organization serves. More workers now use mobile phones and digital payments and more children are attending school. Health and safety practices are also improving, with more workers using protective equipment and maintaining hygiene standards. The organization has made sanitation products such as gloves and masks a requirement, and the practice of hand-washing has helped decrease injuries and the spread of disease in Ahmedabad.

Yet despite these local successes, the national picture remains challenging. Across India, waste pickers are often excluded from formal waste management systems, even though those systems depend on their labor.

Policies that prioritize mechanization or privatization frequently displace informal workers rather than integrate them. A large proportion of waste pickers in India come from historically marginalized communities — lower castes and women — reinforcing cycles of inequality.

Looking Ahead

For Agrawal, addressing poverty requires more than infrastructure. He said that without a shift in mindset and behavior, living conditions will not improve even when physical conditions do. He also believes policymakers must better understand the realities faced by these communities to design effective interventions.

Paryavaran Mitra aims to expand its impact. What began as a small initiative now includes multiple centers and collection points. The organization’s next goal is to increase operational capacity and invest in better infrastructure, including a washing plant. Agrawal said the organization currently operates seven centers and is looking for a larger space to continue growing.

The organization’s work highlights a clear connection: environmental sustainability and poverty reduction are not separate challenges. In communities like those in Ahmedabad, they are deeply intertwined. When waste management systems become more equitable, the same work that once trapped people in poverty can become a pathway out of it. For millions of waste pickers in India, that shift could mean the difference between survival and stability.

Demetra Mykoniatis