Due to the social stigma against this essential work in many communities, waste pickers are often some of the most economically vulnerable communities. And yet, as the informal waste management sector exists on the margins of the law, they face a lack of regulations to protect their work. Most work in landfills, where they are more likely to find recyclables but must endure difficult, often dangerous, conditions with little to no protective equipment.

The workshop was designed to highlight the risk associated with plastic waste collection and the need to do their work in a safe manner especially, during the covid-19 pandemic.

Nestlé Ghana signed a partenership agreement with the Pure Water Waste Collectors Association with oversight of the Ministry of Environment Science Technology and Innovation. Since inception of the partnership in October 2019, Nestle Ghana has donated 20 tricycles and helments, 2,000 waste picking tools, 1,500 pairs of gloves and 1,220 nose masks to the Association. These have enabled the collection of 859 tons of plastic waste for recycling.