Inclusive Recycling Pilot Model in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. The project integrates the Union of Solid Waste Workers "Lázaro Cárdenas del Río" in waste management, dignifies the work of recyclers, and creates circular economies that place the dignity of workers at the center.
In partnership with the municipality, the program aims for recyclers to go directly to households to collect, sort, and valorize materials. This prevents waste from reaching landfills, where recyclers face higher health risks. This project creates bonds of trust and recognition between the municipality's residents and the recyclers. Thus, a chain of recognition is created for the recyclers as providers of an essential service.
We care because traditional waste management is based on the invisibility and precariousness of base recyclers, exposing them to health and labor risks. Inclusive Recycling is a solution with a direct social impact: it dignifies their work, grants them economic autonomy, and a formal place in the value chain.
This project is the living example of our articulation model: it demonstrates how the alliance between civil society, organized base, and government (such as Public Policy Coalitions) produces systemic changes in public management, using the dignity of workers as a driver for the transition towards a circular economy.
Through the project we seek to consolidate:
Document and systematize the Inclusive Recycling model of Dolores Hidalgo so that it becomes a tool replicable by other municipalities in the country.
The legal and formal recognition of the Union, ensuring its economic autonomy and access to rights, which raises the standard for the National Recyclers Movement.
Position Dolores Hidalgo, Gto., as a national benchmark in waste management that is fair, inclusive, and environmentally responsible.
Avina Foundation and the Municipality of Dolores Hidalgo