The future of waste: Rethinking value and work in the circular economy transition

16:00 - 16:00

There are an estimated 19 -24 million waste workers who rely on collecting, sorting and recycling waste for their livelihood. 80% of these are informal workers, and this category have been responsible for the collection of 60% of plastic waste destined for recycling (Fair Circularity Initiative, Systemiq, 2024). Despite their pivotal role in making the global recycling system work, many operate under precarious conditions, lacking access to fair wages, social protections, and formal recognition.

This this session will cover:

How EPR frameworks and the Global Plastic Treaty can acknowledge and compensate the contributions of informal workers
The steps to integrate informal waste workers into formal waste management systems
The case for industry leadership: Why integrating human and workers rights into circular packaging strategies allows for more resilient, locally adaptive and socially legitimate supply chains

Get in touch

For any questions on the conference, please contact:

Lia Da Giau
Project Manager
Lia.DaGiau@innovationforum.co.uk

Sponsorship

For more information and to inquire, please contact:

Gabriela Cuison
Business Development Manager
Gabriela.Cuison@innovationforum.co.uk

Sign up

Registration for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum is currently open.
To sign up, you can do so online here, or get in touch directly for details of group discounts.

Join us for

In-depth guidance from industry leaders on how to effectively implement policies.
Networking with key stakeholders, including NGOs, business, government and supply chain actors.
An entirely off-the-record discussion that encourages open and honest disclosure from speakers and genuine participation from the audience

The future of waste: Rethinking value and work in the circular economy transition

Sustainable Packaging Innovation Forum USA