Informal waste pickers in Pakistan play a vital role in managing and recycling the country’s growing solid waste, yet they continue to face insecure working conditions, low incomes, and limited legal recognition. Pakistan produces more than 50 million tonnes of solid waste annually, and waste pickers handle a significant share by collecting, sorting, and recovering recyclable materials. Despite their contribution, they remain marginalized, with little access to social protection or basic services.
Cooperative models are being promoted as a way to strengthen livelihoods, improve working conditions, and support the formalization of waste pickers. By organizing collectively, waste pickers can enhance their bargaining power, access markets and services more effectively, and secure better incomes. The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Labour Research and Development Institute under the Pakistan United Workers Federation and the Akhter Hameed Khan Foundation, is supporting these efforts through the Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) Phase 2 Project, funded by Japan.
As part of this initiative, the ILO and PUWF organized a national training-of-trainers workshop in Lahore from 27 April to 2 May 2026. The workshop introduced adapted ILO Think.COOP and Start.COOP tools to 25 participants, including government representatives, employers, workers’ organizations, and technical experts. The training provided a platform for dialogue on how cooperative models can be integrated into waste management systems and policy planning.
ILO officials emphasized that cooperatives can help transition informal waste pickers into recognized service providers, supporting recycling and environmental sustainability. Employers’ representatives noted that pooling resources under cooperative frameworks allows workers to scale operations and reduce costs. The training also marked the beginning of building a network of local trainers and advocates to promote cooperative approaches nationwide.
Next steps include delivering adapted training for waste pickers in Islamabad and Sahiwal, Punjab Province, to establish viable cooperative models. Efforts will also focus on securing legal recognition for waste picker cooperatives as partners in municipal waste management systems. The initiative aims to enhance visibility, bargaining power, and livelihoods for waste pickers while supporting their transition to formal, secure, and sustainable employment.
