Bogota’s square swamped by plastic protest over wages

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    BOGOTA, Colombia — On Tuesday, a significant demonstration took place in Bogota’s iconic Bolivar Square as dozens of Colombian waste pickers gathered to voice their frustrations over dwindling incomes and tougher work conditions. They brought with them an estimated 15 tons of recyclable materials, a visual protest against the challenges they face. These workers collect refuse from residences, businesses, and industries to sell it to local recycling facilities.

    Organized by 14 associations of waste pickers, the protest highlighted the struggles of around 20,000 scavengers operating in Bogota. These individuals dedicate long hours to the collection of items like plastic, cardboard, and metal. Around 100 demonstrators joined the event, with some theatrically pretending to swim amidst piles of trash, symbolizing their immersion in their work.

    Nohra Padilla, the president of Colombia’s National Association of Waste Pickers, expressed the protesters’ demands. “We want factories to pay us a fair price for the materials we collect,” she stated, emphasizing the critical role waste pickers play in preventing landfill saturation. Most scavengers work independently, using carts to gather recyclable items that local waste management services neglect. These services typically focus on collecting organic and non-recyclable waste.

    The livelihoods of these waste pickers rely heavily on the volume of recyclables they can sell daily to warehouses or associations. These entities, in turn, sell the accumulated materials to recycling plants. Jorge Ospina, leading the ARAUS waste pickers association, noted a significant drop in the price for plastic sold to recycling plants—from approximately 75 U.S. cents per kilogram to 50 cents. Consequently, Ospina mentions being able to pay collectors roughly 25 cents per kilo for plastic delivered to the ARAUS warehouse in Bogota.

    Ospina speculated that imports of new plastic from countries such as China might contribute to the price decline. He called for stronger government regulation, warning that further price reductions could reduce the motivation for waste pickers, leading to landfill overflows throughout Colombia.

    The Colombian constitution provides protection for waste pickers, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds. Policies favor these workers over large-scale contractors for collecting recyclables, and in major cities, municipal governments are required to pay waste picker associations a fee based on the tonnage they collect monthly.

    However, the volatile pricing of recyclable materials persists as a significant issue, compounded by growing competition from Venezuelan migrants who are engaging in similar work in Colombian cities such as Bogota and Medellin. Consequently, many of these waste pickers earn less than the national minimum wage of $350 per month.