Delhi's Recycling Industry (2 images)

In Delhi, over 170 000 people live off the 8500 tons of garbage produced daily by the 17 million inhabitant megacity. The middle class is booming. The standard of living is increasing. The quantity of garbage also. But the city still does not have a proper recycling system.

For thousands of migrants coming from the countryside and from Bangladesh, collecting and segregating waste is the only available means of survival. Impoverished men, women, elders and children take part in...
more »

In Delhi, over 170 000 people live off the 8500 tons of garbage produced daily by the 17 million inhabitant megacity. The middle class is booming. The standard of living is increasing. The quantity of garbage also. But the city still does not have a proper recycling system.

For thousands of migrants coming from the countryside and from Bangladesh, collecting and segregating waste is the only available means of survival. Impoverished men, women, elders and children take part in this informal and often illegal economy. They save the city millions of dollars.

On top of the inhumane working conditions, their work is often illegal. They face police intimidation, have to pay the guards of the landfill sites, and are from time to time evicted from the slums where they live.
« less