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Empowering the unseen eco-warriors of South-east Asia

Informal waste workers in the region need more money, better equipment and more support

Russell Marino Soh

Published Fri, Feb 9, 2024 · 02:00 PM
    • As the war on waste rages on, more players are looking to the informal sector as a key piece of the puzzle.
    • As the war on waste rages on, more players are looking to the informal sector as a key piece of the puzzle. PHOTO: REFORM PLASTIC

    THEY are mobilised before dawn.

    Found across South-east Asia, this army’s weapons consist of bags and baskets. Protective gear might include broad straw hats and cloth face masks. There are no tanks or transport vehicles – only bicycles or their own two feet.

    This contingent, ill-equipped as it is, may well be the elite fighting force needed to win the war on waste, and efforts are underway to give it the tools to succeed.

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    BrunchWasteRecyclingSouth-east AsiaplasticsEnvironment

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