Recycling Networks
Short description
Millions of informal waste pickers collect household waste daily in cities around the globe to earn a living. In doing so they make a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of cities, recovering resources, improving environmental conditions and health of low-income residents, creating jobs and income among the poor.
Recycling Networks – grassroots resilience tackling climate, environmental and poverty challenges
Aim and research questions
The project aims at examining the challenges that innovative grassroots networks encounter and the livelihoods they generate, to improve recycling and household waste collection in informal settlements of global South cities. Strengthening of such initiatives, networks and practices promotes grassroots resilience, contribute to reduce both the adverse impact of cities on climate and environmental change (UN sustainable development target 11.6) as well as urban poverty (UN sustainable development goal 8). The project offers a critical inter- and transdisciplinary perspective on the issue of organizing resilience against climate and environmental change through grassroots initiatives such as cooperatives, associations, communitybased organizations, public-private partnerships and networks.
The project addresses the following questions:
Q1. Processes: How do these grassroots initiatives and networks operate to bring about socio-environmental and economic change?
Q2. Challenges: What are the organizational, institutional, social, and material challenges encountered in the creation, development and stabilization of these initiatives and
networks?
Q3. Opportunities: How can such difficulties be overcome?
Methodology
The project's methodology is inspired by participatory action research through a combination of:
a) a multiple case study on waste picker initiatives in Managua (Nicaragua), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Buenos Aires (Argentina) Sâo Paulo (Brazil) and Kisumu (Kenya), based on interviews, observations, workshops and document analysis.
b) joint knowledge co-production with regional and global waste picker networks performing as knowledge hubs for the project.
c) An in-depth case study of the city of Kisumu, where the learnings from the multi-case studies will be integrated.
d) International joint research and waste picker seminars to co-produce knowledge to conceptualize solutions to the challenges.
Theories
Theoretically, the project will contribute to applying and expanding a combination of theories of socio-environmental (e.g. Mair & Marti 2006) and institutional entrepreneurship (e.g. Hardy & MacGuire 2008) with resilience (e.g. Folke, 2006) and grassroots innovation theories (e.g. Smith et al, 2017).
Preliminary results
•The potential of informal recycling networks to create green employment growth and recycling jobs among low-income residents.
•Waste management pilot projects supporting social entrepreneurs have transformed city management practices in informal settlements, leading towards hybrid models that
combine formal and informal practices, with modern and traditional technologies.
•Small-scale waste pickers initiatives providing household waste collection in informal settlements provide innovative solutions driven by a rationality to address social and
environmental challenges in their neighborhoods.
•They also transform the institutional arrangements improving political, legal and organizational conditions for the delivery of environmental services; challenge notions of the public and
responsibility in environmental governance .
•Unlike the standardized knowledge generated by donors and international organizations through ‘best practices’, easy to pack but often difficult to replicate in other contexts, these
South-to- South bottom-up networks bring in locally developed, innovative and flexible solutions, and also learnings from their failures.
•The co-production of novel knowledge by practitioners and scholars, that help understanding the challenges of grassroots resilience for a low carbon society, in the context of Southern cities.
Articles in scientific journals:
Zapata Campos, María José, Ester Barinaga, Jaan.-Henrik Kain, Michael Oloko & Patrik Zapata, (2022). Organising grassroots infrastructure: The (in)visible work of organisational (in)completeness. Urban Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980211062818
Charles, G (2019) Sustainability of Social Enterprises Involved in Waste Collection and Recycling Activities: Lessons from Tanzania, Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, DOI: 10.1080/19420676.2019.1686712
Sobral Santos, M.L. & Gutberlet, J. (2018) Transformando relações entre sociedade e resíduos. Caderno Diálogos Socioambientais na Macrometrópole, nº1 (Dez.): 30-37.
Uddin, S. M. N. & Gutberlet, J. (2018) Livelihoods and health status of informal recyclers in Mongolia. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 134: 1–9.
Book chapters
Carenzo, S. 2017. “Fétichismes de la matière jetée: une économie morale de la gestion des déchets dans la région métropolitaine de Buenos Aires, Argentine”. In: Anstett, E. y N. Ortar (Eds). Jeux de pouvoir dans nos poubelles. Économies morales et politiques du recyclage au tournant du XXIe siècle. Paris: Ed. Petra. ISBN 978-284-743-172-8
C Goodluck, J Gutberlet, A.M.M. de Azevedo, S Carenzo, JH Kain, M.O. Oloko, J Pérez Reynosa, P Zapata, M.J. Zapata Campos (2021) Sustainable Waste Collection and Recycling for Inclusive Cities: Report on Updated Research Outcomes of the Project Recycling Networks & Waste Governance. ISBN 978-1-7776032-0-5
Zapata Campos MJ, Barinaga E, Kain JH, Oloko M & Zapata P (2019). Organising grassroots initiatives for a more inclusive governance: constructing the city from below. ICLD RESEARCH REPORT NO 15
Kain, JH, Oloko, M, Zapata, P, Zapata, MJ (2017) Co-production of Waste Management Services in Informal Settlements. Swedish Research Center for Local Democracy. ICLD: Malmö. ISBN 978-91-86725-24-2 https://www.icld.se/projekt/kc-kain-j-oloko-m-zapata-p-zapata-m-2017-co-production-of-services-in-informal-settlements
Acevedo, A. Carenzo, S., Goodluck, C., Gutberlet, J., Kain, J.H., Oloko, M., Pérez Reynosa, J., Zapata, P., Zapata Campos, M.J. (2018) Inclusive Waste governance and Grassroots Innovations for Social, Environmental and Economic Change, Göteborg: University of Gothenburg & Victoria University ISBN 978-91-984547-3-4 http://www.wiego.org/reports/inclusive-waste-governance-and-grassroots-innovations-social-environmental-and-economic-chan
Maria José Zapata Campos, GU, Patrik Zapata, GU & Jaan-Henrik Kain, Chalmers & Michael Oloko JOOUST (Kenya) (2020), Environmental grassroots innovations: a circular economy from below, A Global Sustainable Futures Event: Research collaboration in low- and middle- income countries - findings, lessons and ways forward for implementing Agenda 2030, Global Sustainable Futures (GSF) - a joint collaboration platform at Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg
Zapata Campos, MJ (2020) Organizing grassroots infrastructure for more inclusive and resilient cities: The (in)visible work of organizational ‘incompleteness’, Act Sustainable Research Conference, GMW, University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology.
Zapata Campos, MJ, Zapata, P, Pérez, J, Oloko, M., Carenzo (2019), Recycling networks movement. A green deep democracy or the politics of garbage, European Group for Organisation Studies 35th Colloquium, EGOS, Edinburgh 4-7th July
Zapata, P. Pérez, J., Zapata Campos, M.J. Waste pickers resistance and the urban commons. Stories from the resilient community of La Chureca. European Sociology Association Conference, 20-23th August 2019 Manchester
Acevedo, A. Carenzo, S., Goodluck, C., Gutberlet, J., Kain, J.H., Oloko, M., Pérez Reynosa, J., Zapata, P., Zapata Campos, M.J., ‘Waste picker organisations and grassroots innovation movements’, Development Research Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 22-23th August 2018.
Carenzo, S., Goodluck, C., Gutberlet, J., Kain, J.H., Oloko, M., Pérez Reynosa, J., Zapata, P., Zapata Campos, M.J. Recycling networks. ‘Grassroots resilience tackling climate, environmental and poverty challenges’, Latin American European Organisation Studies Conference, Buenos Aires, 22-24th March 2018.
Carenzo, S. 2018. The B side of social innovation. Grassroots technologies development and waste picker cooperatives in Greater Buenos Aires (Argentina), 7th Social & Technology Studies Italia Conference, Padova (Italy), June 14-16th.
Carenzo, S. 2018. Del “reciclador permitido” a una “economía circular desde abajo”: escenarios y desafíos. Seminario “Promoviendo la incorporación de los Recicladores de Base (RB) como Gestores de Residuos”, organizado por laFundación “La Ciudad Posible”, Fundación “Tierra Viva” y el Movimiento Nacional de Recicladores de Base de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Jueves 2 de agosto 2018.
Gutberlet, J. & Carenzo, S. Waste pickers at the heart of the circular economy: a perspective from the Global South. SUM2018 Symposium on Urban Miningin Bergamo, Italy (21. – 24.05.2018)
Organized by the Recycling Networks and/or Waste Governance project:
Campamento de Innovación por el medioambiente, Managua, Nicaragua, July 26th 2021
a film of the workshop here
Scholar seminar ‘Grassroots innovations from the popular economy for inclusive and resilient economies: design, crossing points and governance’, 15th January 2020, School of Business, Economics & Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
II International Recycling Networks & Waste Governance Conference, 29th April – 5th May 2019, in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in Tanzania
International Conference ‘Recycling Networks & Waste Governance’, Kisumu, Kenya 23th-28th April 2018
International Workshop “Innovación e Inclusión para una Economía Circular de los residuos”, Buenos Aires, October 12th 2018.
Workshop (Re)thinking Circular Economy “from below”, proposed and accepted to be included in the Academic Symposium Circular Economy Disruptions – Past, Present and Future, University of Exeter, UK - June 17 - 19th 2018. Coordinators: Sebastián Carenzo and Lucas Becerra - The Institute for Science and Technology Studies, National University of Quilmes (IESCT-UNQ), Argentina.
International Workshop “La linealidad del círculo: (re)pensando dinámicas tecno-cognitivas para el desarrollo inclusivo sustentable en la Economía Circular”, Buenos Aires, November 14th 2017.
Attended
Pérez-Reynosa, J. H. November 2019, Rio de Janeiro, “Recycling movements, resistance and the urban commons. Stories from the resilient community La Chureca”, paper presented in poster session at 22nd TWAS LACREP young scientist conference and 1st TYAN regional conference for Latin America and Caribbean region.
Pérez-Reynosa, J. H. October 2019, Managua, “Redes de reciclaje. La resiliencia de base abordando los desafíos del clima, el medio ambiente y la pobreza (Caso Managua, Nicaragua)”, research project presented at IV Congreso Nacional: La educación superior nicaraguense innovando y aprendiendo para el desarrollo sostenible.
Zapata Campos, M.J. 28 September 2018, Paris, "Infiltrating urban commoning practices in city policy-making, experiences from Managua and Göteborg”, paper presented at BISCOTE International Workshop" “Urban Commons and Territorial Development” http://www.urbanisme-puca.gouv.fr/projet-biscote-biens-communs-et-territoire-communs-a1491.html
Carenzo, S. 8-11 January 2019, Bonn, Germany.
“Grassroot innovations and waste management: developing a holistic perspective from the global South”, speech presented at the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik -DIE).
Carenzo, S. 15 September 2017, Lyon, France.
“L’économie circulaire des déchets”, paper presented at the Atelier “Deuxième vie des objets”, Institut des Sciences de l'Homme
Carenzo, S. 8 février 2017. Paris, France
“Défis pour une ethnographie collaborative dans des secteurs populaires: vendedores ambulantes [vendeurs ambulants] et recuperadores de residuos [ramasseurs de déchets] à Buenos Aires”, paper co-authored with M.I. Fernandez Alvarez, presented at Atelier d'ethnographie de la maison Archéologie & Ethnologie, René-Ginouvès, Université Paris Nanterrre, mercredi 8 février 2017.
Gutberlet, J. I Simpósio Internacional do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, VIII Encontro da Rede/Roda de Pesquisa-ação Participativa, Maringá, 7.12.2018. A universidade e o seu compromisso com transformações socioambientais face às mudanças climáticas: Avanços e desafios
Gutberlet, J. Taller Innovación e Inclusión para uma Economía Circular de los Resíduos. La Matanza, Provincia de Buenos Aires, 12.10.2018. Modelos de gobernanza de los residuos e inclusión social en el Sur global.
Gutberlet, J. III Simpósio do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos de Cultura e Território, I Seminário Internacional do Programa de Pós-Graduação dm Estudos de Cultura e Território, Araguaína, Tocantins, 11.09.2018. Pesquisa-ação e participação universitária nas transformações socioambientais: Teoría e prática da experiência do trabalho com catadores de materiais recicláveis
Gutberlet, J. Desafíos metodológicos del hacer con cartoneros y recuperadores desde espacios universitarios, públicos y comunitarios. Workshop: Experiencias de Investigación acción con cartoneros en Brasil y Canadá. University of Buenos Aires, 5 de Julio 2017
Kain, JH (2020) Transitioning from grassroots. Think global, act local. Transition Talks, Chalmers University of Technology.
Gutberlet, J. Grassroots social innovations changing narratives on waste: Research with waste pickers. LMU-University of München, Germany, 2.7.2018.
Gutberlet, J. Waste pickers challenging the current Circular Economy: A Global South perspective. LARG – UVic, 21.02.2018.
Gutberlet, J. Livelihoods and health status of waste pickers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. CAPI- Research Talks, UVic, 1.3.2018.
Gutberlet, J. Experiências de pesquisa-ação de resíduos sólidos em diferentes países e o potencial de participação universitária nas transformações socioambientais. Fundação Santo André, Brazil, 08.06.2017.
SUPERVISED THESIS (Bachelor, Master, PhD)
Victoria Rice and Johan Knape, School of Business, Economics & Law, master thesis in Innovation and Industrial Management Program, ‘Grassroots innovations in waste management, the case of ZanRec in Zanzibar’, December 2018 – May 2019. Supervised by Goodluck Charles and María José Zapata Campos
Dare Sholanke, Department of Geography, UVic. MA Thesis: Municipal solid waste governance in Vancouver and Montreal: specific focus on beverage container recycling. Supervised by Gutberlet, J. 2018
Maryellen Silva De Mesquita, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Políticas Públicas, Universidade Federal do Abc. MA Thesis: Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos, transições em regimes tecnológicos e a trajetória da Rede de Cooperativas de Catadores do Grande ABC (Coopcent ABC). Orientador: Adalberto Mantovani Martiniano de Azevedo; Committee member: Jutta Gutberlet, 15.12.2018.
Research team
• Jutta Gutberlet, Professor in Geography, University of Victoria, Canada, and Federal University of the ABC Region in São Paulo, Brazil
• Jaan-Henrik Kain, Professor in Urban Transformation. Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
• Michael O. Oloko, Senior lecturer in Environmental Engineering. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Kisumu, Kenya.
• Goodluck Charles, Coordinator of Centre for Policy Research and Advocacy at the University of Dar es Salaam Business School, Tanzania.
• Jessica Pérez Reynosa, Associate professor in Business Administration, University of Central America, Nicaragua.
• Patrik Zapata, Professor in Public Administration, School of
Public Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
• Sebastián Carenzo, researcher at CONICET; senior lecturer at the Institute for the Study of Science and Technology, National University of Quilmes, Argentina.
• María José Zapata, sociologist, Associate professor in Business
Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, project leader.