Participatory solid waste governance and the role of social and solidarity economy: experiences from São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Waste 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.