India, April 26 -- Waste pickers and concept of just transition have gained attention during process of developing Global Plastic Treaty

Globally, human beings produce over 353 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, according to The Global Plastics Outlook . Yet, only 9 per cent of this waste is recycled, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report from December 2023. Of that 9 per cent, 85 per cent of recycling is conducted by informal recycling workers, who rely heavily on the recovery and recycling of plastics for their livelihoods.

Investments and policy responses designed to address plastic pollution frequently overlook these workers, compromising their ability to sustain their livelihoods. This oversigh...