Pepenadores

Waste management in Mexico faced major structural challenges in the early 2010s. Only around 20% of recyclable waste was recovered, and the vast majority of this (around 90%) was collected informally by waste pickers (pepenadores).  

An estimated over 800,000 waste pickers worked in dumps or on the streets, often in unsafe conditions and with little formal recognition.  

Despite their essential role in the recycling system, they earned low and unstable incomes, reflecting both the dependence on informal labour and the lack of safe, inclusive, and efficient waste management systems. 

Launched in 2021, with the support of the Danone Ecosystem Fund, its local partner Mundo Sustentable and Bonafont, the Pepenadores project in Mexicali was designed to improve the working and living conditions of waste pickers. 

The project centred on the creation of a new segregation center, enabling better waste sorting and recycling practices. Alongside this, participants benefited from life skills training programmes aimed at strengthening their capabilities and improving waste management practices. 

Beyond employment support, the initiative contributed to improving social conditions by providing complementary services, including health coverage for workers’ children and families, while also raising awareness about the role of pepenadores and the importance of effective waste management. 

The project was exited in 2017.