Policy awareness, occupational health risk and institutional support for informal waste pickers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Informal waste pickers play a vital role within municipal solid waste management systems across many developing regions; they remain largely excluded from formal policy frameworks, occupational safety provisions, and social protection programs, resulting reduced system efficiency, compromised worker welfare, and weak governance outcomes. The study examines socio-economic conditions, occupational health risks, institutional support, and policy awareness of waste pickers Himachal Pradesh, India, and analyses interaction between these factors to explain pathways of formal integration.METHODS: The study adopts an integrated mixed-methods approach. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to ۲۰۰ waste pickers. Field observations were conducted across waste collection and segregation points, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with municipal officials and non-governmental organizations. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics alongside chi-square tests assessing association, while qualitative insights were used to contextualize institutional and policy-related gaps.FINDINGS: The results reveal that only ۴۵ percent of waste pickers were aware of the Solid Waste Management Rules, ۲۰۱۶, and just ۳۵ percent were registered under municipal or cooperative programs, indicating low formal system penetration. Occupational safety conditions were inadequate, with only ۲۰ percent consistently using personal protective equipment, while ۷۰ percent engaged manual lifting ۶–۸ hours daily, handling approximately ۶۰–۹۰ kilograms waste per day. Institutional support was limited effectiveness, reflected through a budget allocation United States Dollars ۳۰,۰۰۰, ۱۲ training sessions, and a ۴۰ percent cooperative membership rate, which did not translate higher coverage or safety adoption. Access to healthcare and social protection remained restricted, with only ۳۰ percent coverage. Waste management performance indicators showed ۴۰ percent segregation efficiency and ۲۵ percent processing through composting or biogas systems, suggesting suboptimal resource recovery. Qualitative findings highlight significant gaps policy awareness, administrative procedures, and monitoring mechanisms that hinder formal inclusion.CONCLUSION: The study highlights structural and administrative constraints limiting effective integration of informal waste pickers within formal waste management systems. Strengthened institutional coordination, improved policy dissemination, and context-specific occupational safety interventions remain essential. Expanding access to social protection and streamlining administrative procedures can enhance inclusion outcomes. The integrated mixed-method framework offers a systematic approach to identify and address multi-dimensional inclusion gaps within waste governance systems.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cooperative membership ، Occupational safety ، Policy Awareness ، policy implementation ، social protection ، Waste pickers.