Pakistan Promotes Cooperative Model to Improve Rights of Informal Waste Pickers

Pakistan is stepping up efforts to improve the livelihoods, legal recognition, and working conditions of informal waste pickers through cooperative-based models aimed at supporting their transition into safer and more sustainable employment.

Government representatives, labour organizations, technical experts, and international partners gathered at a major training workshop in Lahore to discuss how cooperatives can help formalize the country’s vast informal waste sector, strengthen workers’ bargaining power, and improve access to social protection and essential services.

The initiative comes as Pakistan faces mounting waste management challenges driven by rapid urbanization, population growth, and rising levels of solid waste generation.

Informal Waste Pickers Central to Pakistan’s Recycling System

Pakistan produces more than 50 million tonnes of solid waste every year, with waste volumes growing by more than 2.4 percent annually.

Despite the scale of the challenge, informal waste pickers continue to play a crucial role in the country’s waste management and recycling systems.

Waste pickers collect, sort, recover, and recycle valuable materials from:

• Streets

• Markets

• Residential areas

• Dumping grounds

• Landfills

Their work helps reduce pressure on already overstretched municipal waste systems while contributing significantly to recycling and material recovery efforts.

The sector largely consists of:

• Family-run operations

• Micro-enterprises

• Informal labour networks

• Marginalized communities

However, despite their important environmental and economic contributions, many waste pickers continue to work under extremely difficult conditions.

Workers Face Unsafe Conditions and Limited Protection

Informal waste pickers in Pakistan often face:

• Low and unstable incomes

• Unsafe working environments

• Health hazards

• Lack of legal recognition

• Limited access to social protection

• Poor access to healthcare and public services

Many workers also experience social stigma and exclusion despite providing essential environmental services.

Experts at the Lahore workshop emphasized that formalizing the sector could help improve both livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

Cooperative Models Seen as Key Solution

Participants highlighted cooperative models as an important pathway for helping informal waste pickers transition into more secure and sustainable employment.

Under cooperative systems, workers can collectively organize to:

• Strengthen bargaining power

• Improve market access

• Pool financial and operational resources

• Negotiate better prices for recyclable materials

• Access social protection programmes

• Improve workplace safety

Cooperatives can also help waste pickers gain greater visibility and recognition within formal waste management systems.

Advocates argue that collective organization enables informal workers to scale their operations and reduce costs more effectively than working individually.

ILO and Partners Support Formalization Efforts

The initiative is being supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with:

• Labour Research and Development Institute (LRDI)

• Pakistan United Workers Federation (PUWF)

• Akhter Hameed Khan Foundation (AHK Foundation)

The programme operates under the:

Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion through Organization and Formalization (PRS) – Phase 2 Project

The project is funded by the Government of Japan.

Current efforts are focused on supporting informal waste pickers in:

• Sahiwal, Punjab Province

• Islamabad Capital Territory

The initiative aims to create viable cooperative structures that can eventually become integrated into formal municipal waste management systems.

First National Cooperative Training Workshop Held

As part of the programme, the ILO and PUWF jointly organized Pakistan’s first national training-of-trainers workshop using adapted versions of the ILO’s:

• Think.COOP

• Start.COOP

training tools.

The six-day workshop took place in Lahore from:

• 27 April to 2 May 2026

A total of 25 participants attended, including representatives from:

• Government institutions

• Employers’ organizations

• Workers’ organizations

• Technical agencies

• Labour experts

The workshop created a platform for dialogue and collaboration around promoting cooperative models for workers in Pakistan’s informal economy.

Focus on Sustainable Waste Management

Heejin Ahn, Project Technical Officer at the ILO, said cooperative models can help transform informal waste pickers into recognized waste service providers.

According to Ahn, cooperatives can support:

• Recycling systems

• Material recovery

• Environmental sustainability

• Improved livelihoods

She emphasized that successful implementation will require active collaboration with:

• Municipal authorities

• Private sector companies

• Waste management agencies

The goal is to develop inclusive waste management systems where waste pickers are recognized as legitimate partners rather than operating outside formal structures.

Employers and Labour Groups Back Initiative

Participants at the workshop also stressed the economic benefits of collective organization.

Syed Abaan from the Employers Federation of Pakistan said the training demonstrated how cooperative frameworks can help informal workers combine resources and improve operational efficiency.

He noted that collective organization can allow workers to:

• Scale operations

• Reduce costs

• Increase bargaining power

• Improve income stability

Stakeholders argued that formalized cooperatives could also help improve transparency and efficiency within local recycling markets.

Building a National Network of Trainers

The workshop marked an important step toward building a network of local trainers and advocates who can support the expansion of cooperative models across Pakistan.

Selected participants will now provide adapted training directly to informal waste pickers in local communities.

The next phase of the project will focus on:

• Establishing practical cooperative models

• Supporting organizational development

• Improving legal recognition

• Strengthening local partnerships

Push for Legal Recognition of Waste Picker Cooperatives

Project partners are also planning discussions with national and local authorities about formally recognizing waste picker cooperatives within municipal waste management systems.

Legal recognition could help waste pickers gain:

• Greater protection

• More stable employment opportunities

• Access to government support programmes

• Inclusion in urban waste management planning

The initiative ultimately aims to strengthen the visibility, dignity, and livelihoods of informal waste workers while supporting broader environmental sustainability goals.

Growing Global Focus on Informal Waste Sector

The programme reflects broader international efforts to improve conditions for informal waste workers worldwide.

Across many developing countries, waste pickers form a critical but often invisible part of urban recycling systems.

International organizations increasingly view the formalization of informal waste work as important for:

• Reducing poverty

• Supporting circular economies

• Improving urban sanitation

• Expanding recycling capacity

• Advancing environmental sustainability

In Pakistan, officials and development organizations believe cooperative-based models could offer a practical pathway toward more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable waste management systems.