ABSTRACT

It is no news that waste generation is on the increase, making it more problematic for governments to manage. In the global south, the informal recycling sector has become notable for its contributions to municipal waste management through resource recovery, as shown by the current body of research. However, due to the seemingly well-organised waste management system, the existence and roles of this sector in municipal solid waste management in the global north are largely under-documented. Using a community-based research methodology and applying mixed methods, we examined the roles of the informal recycling sector in municipal waste management in Vancouver, British Columbia as well as their level of participation in decision-making. Results demonstrate that the sector enhances waste diversion and recovery efforts and works in collaboration with the city government as well as other stakeholders. The study also shows that informal recyclers (locally called binners) participate in some level of decision-making processes such as the Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy; however, their participation in other key waste management decisions including the City’s Recycling Bylaw remains challenging, which significantly impacts their day-to-day survival. We, therefore, highlight the need for a transformative participatory policy/decision-making process to promote more harmonious and inclusive municipal waste management.

摘要

垃圾产生量在增加，这给政府管理带来了更多问题，这已经不是什么新闻了。目前的研究表明，在全球南方，非正规回收部门因其通过资源回收对城市废物管理做出的贡献而引人注目。然而，由于看似组织良好的废物管理系统，该部门在全球北方城市固体废物管理中的存在和作用在很大程度上没有得到充分记录。我们使用基于社区的研究方法并应用混合方法，研究了不列颠哥伦比亚省温哥华市非正规回收部门在城市废物管理中的作用及其参与决策的程度。结果表明，该部门加强了废物转移和回收工作，并与市政府和其他利益相关者合作。该研究还表明，非正式回收商（当地称为垃圾回收商）参与了某种程度的决策过程，例如一次性物品减少策略；然而，他们参与其他重要的废物管理决策（包括纽约市的回收条例）仍然具有挑战性，这极大地影响了他们的日常生存。因此，我们强调需要一个变革性的参与性政策/决策过程，以促进更加和谐和包容的城市废物管理。该研究还表明，非正式回收商（当地称为垃圾回收商）参与了某种程度的决策过程，例如一次性物品减少策略；然而，他们参与其他重要的废物管理决策（包括纽约市的回收条例）仍然具有挑战性，这极大地影响了他们的日常生存。因此，我们强调需要一个变革性的参与性政策/决策过程，以促进更加和谐和包容的城市废物管理。该研究还表明，非正式回收商（当地称为垃圾回收商）参与了某种程度的决策过程，例如一次性物品减少策略；然而，他们参与其他重要的废物管理决策（包括纽约市的回收条例）仍然具有挑战性，这极大地影响了他们的日常生存。因此，我们强调需要一个变革性的参与性政策/决策过程，以促进更加和谐和包容的城市废物管理。