Community-based Research Lab (CBRL) Publications
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Item Participatory solid waste governance and the role of social and solidarity economy: Experiences from São Paulo, Brazil(Detritus, 2020) Gutberlet, Jutta; Besen, Gina Rizpah; Morais, Leandro PereiraWaste governance is emerging as transdisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach to waste management and policy, overcoming primarily prescriptive engineering perspectives of waste. The process of governing waste involves the articulation of different structures, institutions, policies, practices and actors. Paying attention to issues of power, scale, and equity are important in the search for more democratic practices. Innovative forms of governance are emerging as decentralized, participatory and inclusive, focused on waste reduction and resource recovery. Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) is an innovative alternative in generating work and income and a response in favor of social and labor inclusion. It can also be considered as a new, more humane and inclusive development model. With this article we aim to provide practical knowledge on the contributions of grassroots organizations and networks in waste management, supporting the discussion of waste governance in the context of the SSE. We present different experiences of waste picker organizations in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil to showcase their assets and to discuss prevailing challenges. Employing the SSE as a new development model allows us to address everyday issues of waste generation, management and governance in Brazilian cities and in other parts of the world; particularly from the perspective of organized waste pickers in associations, cooperatives and networks. This is a development paradigm which goes beyond just economic considerations, as highlighted with examples from waste management.Item Grassroots eco-social innovations driving inclusive circular economy(Detritus, 2023) Gutberlet, JuttaThe paper discusses research results on waste governance and circular economy, conducted with waste picker cooperatives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. Two cases have been selected, from a pool of 21 waste picker organizations, to video document their grassroots eco-social innovations that have improved local waste management and the lives of the cooperative members. The videos support knowledge sharing with key actors in waste governance and the circular economy. Social grassroots innovation theory focuses on livelihood opportunities beyond the formal labour market, pursuing social inclusion by creating meaningful work for individuals who were considered left out and in vulnerable situations. Transitioning to sustainability necessarily goes beyond socio-technical innovations but rather integrates eco-social perspectives. After first introducing grassroots innovation theory and the concept of eco-social innovations the paper describes the empirical frame and presents two cases where organized waste pickers were successful in operationalizing innovations that address the circular economy and contribute to sustainability transitions. Key findings highlighted are cooperative governance, long-term partnership building, improved productivity and increased income.Item Waste to energy, wasting resources and livelihoods(InTech, 2011) Gutberlet, JuttaNot recovering the material embedded in solid waste means wasting resources and thus reinforcing the pressure to further extract natural resources for the manufacturing of new products. Industrial ecology, life cycle analysis, material flow analysis, ecological footprint and other approaches and concepts have long ago already demonstrated the necessity and possibilities of reintegrating recyclable materials into production flows, reducing the waste of resources and thus sparing the environment. Far too often however, business is done as usual and the status quo of production and consumption is not altered significantly.Item Social aspects of solid waste in the global South(OECD Publishing and UNESCO Publishing, 2013) Gutberlet, JuttaMunicipal solid waste is seen either as a nuisance or as a commodity and social dimensions are less important. Waste problems require an integrated, multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach. Informal but organised recycling in Brazil is an example of an innovative, inclusive resource recovery and environmental awareness strategy that has many benefits for the environment and for the waste collectors. Policies need to safeguard the social dimension and the ecological and economic aspects of waste management.Item Celebrating community–university research partnerships: Experiences in Brazil(University of Victoria; PRIA, 2015) Tremblay, Crystal; Gutberlet, Jutta; Bonatti, MichelleThis chapter provides a brief overview of Brazil’s national and regional policy initiatives and financial incentives that support collaboration between higher education institutions and society. We discuss two examples of higher education institutions–the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)–and highlight the different structures that have emerged through ‘incubators’ meant to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurial activities. Government support for the incubator model has been increasing at the federal, state and local levels. The national social mobilizing network COEP and the community-based organization CEPAGRO are also featured in this study as examples of successful civic-led partnership research with higher education institutions (HEIs). The information presented in this chapter was collected through documents and websites, in addition to in-depth interviews with key informants at each of the institutions/organizations.Item Waste in the city: Challenges and opportunities for urban agglomerations(InTech, 2018) Gutberlet, JuttaWorldwide cities are rapidly expanding, creating visible environmental and social challenges. The generation of waste is one of the central concerns in urban agglomerations, particularly in the global South, where inadequacies, absences and weaknesses shape the local waste management system. Uneven geographic development has created obvious spaces of exclusion and neglect. In response, informal and organized waste pickers engage in selective waste collection and recycling, serving their community and the environment. These contributions are still mostly unrecognized and unaccounted for. This chapter begins with emphasizing the challenges of urban growth, consumption, poverty and waste. In the global South, every day millions of informal waste pickers reclaim recyclables from household waste to earn their living. In doing so they make an important contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of cities, recovering resources, improving environmental conditions and health creating jobs and income among the poor, particularly in low-income residential areas. This chapter discusses the organization of these initiatives into networks and examines the challenges and benefits of such practices that promote grassroots resilience and contribute to reducing both the adverse impacts of cities on climate and environmental change (UN sustainable development target # 11.6) as well as urban poverty (Goal # 8).Item Citizen science(Transcript, 2023) Jaeger-Erben, Melanie; Becker, Frank; Prüse, Baiba; Mendoza, Jimlea Nadezhda; Gutberlet, Jutta; Rodrigues, ElianaThe term citizen science originates from Anglo-American contexts and generally de-scribes the procedure of involving citizens who are not institutionally anchored in academia as active participants in a scientific research process. The use of the term “citizen” (etymologically derived from the Anglo-French word citisein “inhabitant of a city or community”, approx. 13th century), indicates a specific understanding of the persons involved, who, in the sense of the term citoyen coined in the French Enlightenment, actively and autonomously participate in the community and help to shape it. The tasks of citizens in this context range from collecting data to co-de-signing the entire research process, applying scientific quality standards, and producing scientifically usable results (Haklay et al. 2021; Pettibone et al. 2017). Citizen science as a designation for a specific form of knowledge production is mainly used in the European and North American context, where a differentiated research and funding landscape has evolved since the beginning of this century (Haklay et al. 2021). Similar approaches can be found in other parts of the world, but are framed under alternative terms such as community science (Conrad and Hilchey 2011) and community-based research (Amauchi et al. 2022). Citizen science brings together a multiplicity of approaches ranging from mass data collection events for citizens to forms of independent or self-determined research by non-academic groups or communities, calling the term itself into question (Eitzel et al. 2017).Item Grassroots social innovation of waste pickers as critique of the existing social order(Oxford, 2025) Gutberlet, Jutta; de Carvalho Vallin, IsabellaGrassroots initiatives in the waste sector can contribute to reducing poverty, increasing social inclusion, creating gender equity, and tackling a range of other social, environmental, and climate change objectives. In many parts of the world, organized waste pickers have developed leadership by delivering ecosocial contributions, helping cities deal with waste management, and addressing social valorization within the waste value chain. The activities of these grassroots agents entail an open critique of existing social and political orders, expressed in current mainstream regimes of waste and waste management. Novel practices emerge from marginal ‘niche’ contexts, in which waste pickers experiment with technological innovations, develop alternative governance forms, or obtain successful strategies for increasing income. This chapter discusses the ways in which waste pickers develop their own solutions to tackle the bottlenecks, challenges, and questions that they face in their everyday work life.Item Urban recycling cooperatives: Building resilient communities(Routledge, 2016) Gutberlet, JuttaSolid waste is a major urban challenge worldwide and decisions over which technologies or methods to apply can have beneficial or detrimental long-term consequences. Inappropriate management of solid waste can lead to damaging environmental impacts, particularly in the megacities of the Global South. Urban Recycling Cooperatives explores the multiple narratives and interdisciplinary nature of waste studies, drawing attention to the pressing social, economic and environmental challenges related to waste management. The book asks questions such as: how do we define waste and our relation to it; who is involved in dealing with waste; and what power interactions become manifest over issues of accessing and managing waste? In recent years informal cooperatives have emerged, devoted to recycling household and business waste before reclassifying it and redirecting it to the authorities. Hence, these workers are able to reclaim significant amounts of natural resources and thus contribute to the saving of resources and lessened waste management expenditures. With particular reference to the Brazilian megalopolis of São Paulo, this book describes this paradigm shift in the general understanding of waste as unwanted discard towards the recognition of waste as a resource that must be recovered for reuse or recycling. It would be of interest to students and policy makers working in international development and waste management.Item Waste pickers and their practices of insurgency and environmental stewardship(Journal of Environment & Development, 2021) Gutberlet, Jutta; Sorroche, Santiago; Baeder, Angela M.; Zapata, Patrik; Zapata Campos, María JoséInformed by different grassroots learning and educational practices engaged in waste management, and drawing from the concepts of insurgent citizenship and environmental stewardship, we examine the role of waste picker organizations and movements in creating new pathways towards more sustainable environmental waste governance. Two case studies (Argentina and Brazil) demonstrate how waste pickers inform and educate the general public and raise the awareness of socio-environmental questions related to waste management. Different educational practices are used as strategies to confront citizens with their waste: to see waste as a consumption problem, resource, and income source. Our paper draws on grassroots learning (social movement learning and insurgent learning) and education (stewardship) aimed at the transformation of waste practices. We argue that waste pickers play an important role in knowledge production promoting recycling, in landfilling less and recovering more resources. We conclude that waste pickers act as insurgent citizens and also are environmental stewards.Item Characteristics, challenges and innovations of waste picker organizations: A comparative perspective between Latin American and East African countries(PLoS ONE, 2022) Kain, Jaan-Henrik; Zapata, Patrik; Mantovani Martiniano de Azevedo, Adalberto; Carenzo, Sebastián; Charles, Goodluck; Gutberlet, JuttaWaste picker organisations (WPOs) around the globe collect, transport and process waste to earn their living but represent a widely excluded, marginalised and impoverished segment of society. WPOs are highly innovative, created by grassroots out of “nothing” to deliver economic, social and environmental sustainability. Still, we do not know how such innovations are developed, and how they are disseminated and adopted by other groups. This article examines characteristics, challenges and innovations of WPOs across five countries in Latin America and East Africa. It is based on quantitative and qualitative data regarding modes of organisation and management, gender, received support, business orientations, environmental and social contributions, and innovations developed in response to multiple challenges. The paper provides a comprehensive understanding of WPOs’ activities and their grassroots innovations in the Global South. The study shows how WPOs contribute significantly to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the societies they serve as well as the wider urban societies. To start and maintain WPOs in informal settlements with a lack of infrastructure, institutional frameworks, and public and private investors is a difficult quest. WPOs take many different organisational forms depending on the complexity of local realities, ranging from advanced collective organization as cooperatives to small self-help groups and microentrepreneurs. Self-organisation into regional and national networks provides economic opportunities, autonomy and stability as well as political influence. Yet, institutional support is fundamental and the lack thereof threatens their existence. Sustaining WPOs as important providers of socio-environmental benefits through governmental and non-governmental actions is a worthwhile undertaking that builds sustainability.Item Grassroots innovations in ‘extreme’ urban environments. The inclusive recycling movement(Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 2023) Zapata Campos, María José; Carenzo, Sebastián; Charles, Goodluck; Gutberlet, Jutta; Kain, Jaan-Henrik; Oloko, Michael O.; Reynosa, Jessica Pérez; Zapata, PatrikWaste pickers all over the world work innovatively to reduce the environmental footprint of cities as they struggle to meet their critical livelihood obligations. Informed by the case of waste picker organizations (WPOs) this article examines how grassroots initiatives and extreme-niche innovations are created and sustained by mobilizing resources, rationales and relations. The study is informed by a cross-national survey and in-depth interviews with WPOs in Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Kenya and Tanzania, and builds upon theories of grassroots innovation movements. The findings show how operating in contexts of extreme scarcity, these grassroots organisations tap into local resources, e.g. tacit knowledge, economies of affection and other socially embedded institutional resources. Blending material and environmental rationales, contributes to expanding their audiences and to gaining further support. In such deprived urban contexts, radical and cumulative crises and events hindering residents’ livelihoods can paradoxically also spark ingenuity out of necessity, and the transformation of these settings into extreme niches of innovation. Finally, the mobilization of relations through the formation of networks linking WPOs with supportive intermediaries and global circuits of solidarity becomes another fundamental resilience strategy by which WPOs can navigate contested environments and insert their extreme-niche innovations in governmental structures. By simultaneously adopting a broad repertoire of strategies of insertion, contention, and mobilization WPO and their innovations thrive in highly constrained environments. We conclude with reflecting on how ‘extreme’ niches of innovation − at the cracks of the formal city, economy and waste systems − can unleash the creative power of stigmatized, illiterate and neglected grassroots to experiment with new solutions in resource-poor environments.Item Social movements in the context of crisis: Waste picker organizations as collaborative public partners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic(Environment & Urbanization, 2023) Gutberlet, Jutta; Mantovani Martiniano de Azevedo, Adalberto; Morais, Leandro; Bacic, Miguel Juan; Silva de Mesquita, MaryellenSocial movements are purposeful, organized groups of people addressing the creation and reproduction of inequality, rights and access issues, seeking to transform sectoral policies. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, social movements have been acting in articulation with government and private companies and through other actions formulated within their networks, as service deliverers to the poor and vulnerable populations most heavily affected, often filling a gap created by unfulfilled policies. Our research with waste picker organizations in Brazil illustrates how their struggle for recognition has taken action in this context. Academic and government documents, social media and online material (blogs, posts, websites, etc.) and virtual meetings inform this research. We found that multiple actors have contributed to mitigate the urgent needs of waste pickers during the pandemic, but that at the same time, pre-existing challenges in waste management and the lack of wide-ranging social and economic inclusion have been further intensified.Item Emerging complexities and rising omission: Contrasts among socio-ecological contexts of infectious diseases, research and policy in Brazil(Genetics and Molecular Biology, 2021) Giatti, Leandro Luiz; Ribeiro, Ricardo Agum; Nava, Alessandra Ferreira Dales; Gutberlet, JuttaIn this article, we explore elements that highlight the interdependent nature of demands for knowledge production and decision-making related to the appearance of emerging diseases. To this end, we refer to scientific production and current contextual evidence to verify situations mainly related to the Brazilian Amazon, which suffers systematic disturbances and is characterized as a possible source of pathogenic microorganisms. With the acceleration of the Anthropocene's environmental changes, socio-ecological instabilities and the possibility of the emergence of infectious diseases merge into a background of a ´twin insurgency´. Furthermore, there is a tendency to impose economic hegemony in the current Brazilian context, corroborating discourses and pressures to a scientific simplification and denial. With this, we assert that developmental sectoral actions and monoculture of knowledge characterize an agenda of omission, that is, a process of decision making that indirectly reinforces ecological degradation and carelessness in the face of the possibility of the emergence and spreading of new diseases, such as COVID-19. Tackling the socio-ecological complexity inherent in the risk of the emergence of infectious diseases requires robust co-construction of scientific knowledge, eco-social approaches, and corresponding governance and sophisticated decision-making arrangements.Item Waste pickers at the heart of the circular economy: A perspective of inclusive recycling from the global south(Worldwide Waste, 2020) Gutberlet, Jutta; Carenzo, SebastiánWhile the circular economy (CE) is discussed in the global North as an innovative approach to waste management, the idea of circular resource flows has long been central in the work of waste pickers all over the world. They work independently or in groups, collecting, classifying, and reinserting a wide range of discarded materials into the economy. These grassroots initiatives have accumulated valuable knowledge and offer innovative perspectives on handling waste, informed and framed by their everyday experiences. Yet their efforts are hardly recognized as contributions to the circular economy, nor are most of the services they provide remunerated. Despite their precarious working and living conditions, waste pickers provide a specialized workforce, proven to be efficient in the reclamation of discarded and wasted materials, in reverse logistics such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) and service contracts involving municipalities and industries. With some exceptions, the organization of human labour that underpins the circular flows of matter and energy is an absent analytical dimension in most of the literature in this field. The dominant CE concept focuses primarily on environmental and ecological sustainability outcomes but lacks attention to social sustainability and livelihood aspects. Our paper bridges this gap in the literature by discussing results of qualitative research conducted in the metropolitan regions of São Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2017 and 2018, illustrating how waste picker organizations provide selective waste collection services to communities and businesses and thus contribute to resource recovery and social inclusion, at the heart of the CE.Item The story of my face: How environmental stewards perceive stigmatization (re)produced by discourse(Sustainability, 2010) Gutberlet, Jutta; Jayme, Bruno De OliveiraThe story of my face intertwines concepts of social semiotics and discourse analysis to explore how a simple type of printed media (flyer) can generate stigmatization of informal recyclers, known as binners in Western Canada. Every day, media exposes humans to signifiers (e.g., words, photographs, cartoons) that appear to be trivial but influence how we perceive their meaning. Amongst the signifiers frequently found in the media, the word “scavengers”, has been used to refer to autonomous recyclers. Specific discourse has the potential to promote and perpetuate discrimination against the individuals who deal with selective collection of recyclables and decrease the value of their work. Their work is valuable because it generates income for recyclers, recovers resources and improves overall environmental health. In this context, the present qualitative study draws on data collected with binners during research conducted in the city of Victoria, in British Columbia. First we analyze a dialogue between binners from a participatory video workshop, to explore their perceptions of the stigma they suffer. Second we use a flyer produced by the local government alerting against scavenging to illustrate how the content (i.e., structural organization [text and images] in which they are embedded work together to mediate stigmatization against recyclers. Third, we analyze videotaped data from a panel discussion with local government, the local community, and binners on inclusive waste management, to uncover different negative perceptions of binners. In our study we look at the official discourse that marginalizes informal recyclers and creates social injustices. We illustrate how the recyclers perceive stigma and suggest that marginalization could be overcome by reiterating the image of environmental stewards instead of scavengers.Item Ways out of the waste dilemma: Transforming communities in the Global South(RCC Perspectives: Transformations in Environment and Society, 2016) Gutberlet, JuttaThis article argues that the idea of zero waste requires shifts in cultural values rather than new technological solutions. Inspiration for sustainable waste policies and management will likely come from countries in the Global South, where consumerism and discard-oriented production are not yet fully established, where economies are less fixated on growth, and people’s lifestyles are not yet “cocooned in the consumption bubble.” Examples of informal and cooperative recyclers in Brazil show how these workers have developed effective practices and policies supporting circular economy, sufficiency, and solidarity—something that we could learn from in the Global North as well.Item Global plastic pollution and informal waste pickers(Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 2023) Gutberlet, JuttaUNICATA is a university for and with waste pickers based on Paulo Freire's popular education pedagogy, knowledge democracy and the practice of peer learning. The aim is to create a learning space of excellence where one can dream, dare, innovate, and be inspired by transformative ideas and achievements. This university will increase access to knowledge and expand the possibilities for reflection, for a population that suffers from social exclusion and high vulnerability. Worldwide waste pickers are major protagonists in collecting, separating, and redirecting recyclable materials into the circular economy. Research demonstrates that waste pickers are central figures in educating households on waste separation practices, adding value to recovered materials, building community by integrating socially excluded individuals into their collective workspaces, indirectly also mitigating environmental and climate impacts. While these positive effects of inclusive recycling are increasingly recognized in the academic literature, unfair remuneration, stigmatization, and risk-prone or unhealthy working conditions are still the prevailing realities. This paper discusses reflections on recent experiences of implementing UNICATA in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2023, with a pilot project developing and delivering the introductory module which was successfully completed by 22 students. The research takes a social constructivist lens to uncover the colonial social and political injustices through experiential and student-centered education. Our results reveal some noticeable assets and barriers in creating inclusive education for a large population that is widely neglected, in many different geographic contexts, thus also filling a gap towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Item Invisible Green Guardians: A long-term study on informal waste pickers' contributions to recycling and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions(Cleaner Waste Systems, 2025) Reis-Filho, José Amorim; Gutberlet, Jutta; Giarrizzo, TommasoRecycling plays a crucial role in the circular economy by reintroducing materials into the supply chain. However, certain aspects of the recycling chain, such as the role of informal waste pickers remain underappreciated, despite their significant impact on energy savings and CO2 recovery. This study investigates the contribution of informal waste pickers to the recovery of recyclable solid waste in Salvador, one of the largest cities in South America, over a 13-year period. Using data from pre-recycling centers that exclusively handle materials collected by waste pickers, we tracked the temporal impact of their activities in diverting solid waste from landfills. From 2010–2022, waste pickers recovered approximately 5700 tonnes of recyclable solid waste, preventing an estimated 27,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions through material substitution and landfill diversion. The most recovered materials were PET, aluminum, and paper/cardboard, with a notable shift toward increased aluminum recovery. Aluminum and PET contributed most to avoided emissions, with aluminum surpassing PET in recent years. This study underscores the critical yet often undervalued role of informal waste pickers in municipal solid waste management (MSWM) and their contribution to greenhouse gas emission reductions. Given the global prevalence of waste pickers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, further research on this topic could significantly enhance awareness of the benefits derived from their labor. Recognizing and integrating informal waste pickers into formal waste management systems could strengthen sustainability initiatives in cities and enhance climate change mitigation strategies under dynamic needs of urban populations.Item Impacts of Covid-19 on organized waste pickers in selected municipalities in the State of São Paulo(Ambiente & Sociedade, 2022) de Azevedo, Adalberto Mantovani Martiniano; Gutberlet, Jutta; Araújo, Solange Dias De; Duarte, Fabiano H.This study, carried out with waste picker organizations in 32 municipalities in the State of São Paulo, seeks to analyze the impacts of the pandemic (Covid-19) on their activities, including measures taken by the government and other actors, in order to alleviate the impacts resulting from the crisis. Our theoretical framework discusses the relationships between social movements and public policies. Organized waste pickers provide selective collection services, interacting with different levels of government in situations of collaboration and conflict, with frequent collective actions seeking improvements. Bibliographic research and application of questionnaires inform about the interactions of waste pickers, showing structural and systemic problems, highlighting their demands as a social movement. Este estudio, realizado con organizaciones de recicladores en 32 municipios del Estado de São Paulo, busca analizarlos impactos de la pandemia de la Covid-19 en las actividades de estas organizaciones y sus miembros, incluyendo las medidas tomadas por el gobierno y otros actores para paliar los impactos resultantes de la crisis. El marco teórico discute la relación entre movimientos sociales y políticas públicas, ya que los recicladores organizados interactúan con diversos niveles de gobierno en situaciones de colaboración y conflicto, brindan servicios de gestión de residuos municipales, con frecuentes acciones colectivas que buscan mejoras. La investigación documental y la aplicación de cuestionarios informan sobre las interacciones de los recicladores, destacando los problemas estructurales y sistémicos, mostrando sus dificultades, logros y demandas como movimiento social. Resumo Este estudo, realizado com organizações de catadores em 32 municípios do Estado de São Paulo, busca analisar os impactos da Pandemia de Covid-19 sobre as atividades dessas organizações e seus integrantes, incluindo as medidas tomadas pelo governo e outros atores visando aliviar os impactos decorrentes da crise.O referencial teórico discute a relação entre movimentos sociais e políticas públicas, uma vez que catadores organizados interagem com diversos níveis de governo em situações de colaboração e conflito, prestam serviços de gerenciamento de resíduos municipais, sendo frequentes ações coletivas buscando melhorias nessa relação. Pesquisa documental e aplicação de questionários informam sobre as interações dos catadores, evidenciando problemas estruturais e sistêmicos que ganharam relevo com a crise, destacando suas dificuldades, conquistas e reivindicações como movimento social.