Bringing value to waste in developing countries

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the link that exists between “waste” and “resource” in two developing nations where waste is widely available in the public realm and where economic opportunities are scarce. Over the past few decades, researchers, businesses and policymakers have become increasingly interested in analysing the link that exists between “waste” and “resource”. In developing nations, this link is particularly strong, as waste is widely available in the public realm and economic opportunities are scarce. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is the result of two pieces of research carried out simultaneously at Paris Dauphine University. Field data were collected through interviews with different stakeholders involved in the value chain (businesses, scavengers, local authorities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), etc.), as well as observations as a result of time spent by the researchers living and working in these countries. The limits to the methodology used in this paper are linked to the changing economic and political contexts of these countries, which may affect the nature of the obstacles identified in the value chain. Findings – This research has led the authors to identify different types of economic and social “value” which generate and represent waste in developing countries. The authors have analysed waste as a means for value generation for various stakeholders in a given society, as well as an object that can increase in value throughout the recycling process. However, this process of adding value – for those who benefit from the waste, as well as to the waste itself – is, in the case of Haiti and Vanuatu, limited. The authors have attempted to understand some of these limits, which represent a lost opportunity for these countries. Originality/value – In this paper, the authors have chosen to analyze this link between “waste” and “resource” in two island countries (Haiti and Vanuatu), which share similar geographical, economic and social characteristics, and to attempt to understand the various types of value that waste offers at different social levels.