Research
& Media
Learn more about the work of NAWPA, our affiliates and meet waste pickers in North America through the publications, research studies and media stories here.
Articles, papers and media stories
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Very little has been written on waste picking in North America compared to the global south. A lack of research and documentation, historically and now, contributes to the invisibility of the sector.
What research does exist shows that waste picking has a long history in both rural and urban North America. In addition to collecting and selling second-hand goods, waste pickers once collected rags to exchange for coal. Immigrants and people of color played a central role in formal and informal waste systems as recyclers and as owners of small recycling enterprises. Today, automation, global outsourcing and structural racism have made waste sector services that specifically support low-income individuals and communities rare.
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This collection of stories and articles shines a light on those who continue this work.
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The Other 3 Rs: Recognize, Respect and Reward
Upstream Solutions published this article in March 2026 about three NAWPA waste picker affiliates in North America who run recycling redemption depots. It explores the challenges and sheds light on why this work is so important.
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Recycling in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: Depots as social enterprise
by Leslie Vryenhoek, 2025, International Alliance of Waste Pickers (IAWP) and Ground Score Association
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Cash For Your Trash: Scrap Recycling in America by Carl Zimring
In this 2005 book, Zimring provides a fascinating history of scrap recycling, from colonial times to the present, offering a cultural and economic portrait of the private businesses that made large-scale recycling possible.
Garbage Wars: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago by David Naguib Pellow
This 2002 book describes the politics of garbage in Chicago. He describes the tug of war among social movements, government, and industry over how we manage our waste, who benefits, and who pays the costs. Pellow, a sociologist, closes with suggestions for how communities in North America can work for environmental justice and safe, sustainable waste management.
Le Juste Sac
Chaque jour au Québec, des gens arpentent les rues pour collecter et trier les contenants consignables, s'assurant par le fait même qu'ils soient recyclés à 100%. Ils jouent un rôle essentiel dans l'écosystème du recyclage urbain. Cependant, leur contribution n'est tout simplement pas valorisée.
Le Juste Sac ne se contente pas de rendre leur travail plus efficace et plus sécuritaire, il leur donne la dignité qu'ils méritent.
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​Le Juste Sac a été conçu par l’agence créative No Fixed Address en collaboration avec la coopérative de solidarité Les Valoristes.
Statistics and Data
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As in most of the world, governments in North America don’t collect official statistics or data on waste pickers in labor force surveys. Data is critical to understanding the contributions of waste pickers, to defining organizing strategies and to developing responsive, supportive policies. We have developed our own studies, and documented our methods to help other waste pickers’ organizations interested in collecting data on their sector.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada - 2021
Informal collection of beverage containers in Montreal and the Coop Les Valoristes: A rapid socio-economic livelihoods assessment
University of Victoria (British Columbia) in collaboration with Cooperative les Valoristes
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Portland, Oregon, USA - 2020
Ground Score (as part of the Informal Sector Small Equity Work Group) (Oregon, USA)
New York City, NY, USA - 2023
Independent Recyclers in New York City: Sector Profile and Pathways to Inclusion
Sure We Can (New York City, USA) - 2023
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Global - 2024
Statistics on Waste Pickers: A Case Studies Guide
WIEGO Statistical Brief No 39