WIEGO's Position on Dump Closures

Waste pickers around the globe contribute to a cleaner environment, healthier cities and lower municipal budgets. These vital informal workers (and their families) depend on the availability of recyclable materials to earn income. Open dumps pose environmental and health concerns, but any dump closure must include a comprehensive and articulated approach that addresses the impacts on waste pickers.

WIEGO recommends that moving from open dumps into sanitary landfills be part of an integrated and sustainable solid waste framework with an emphasis on waste minimization, reuse and reduce strategies (“zero waste’), and on final disposal based on environmentally-friendly technologies suited for local contexts and the composition of waste. This approach must address the protection of livelihoods.