Research carried out by IOM and UNICEF has revealed the appalling
working conditions of the cartoneros, children and adults who
search in garbage dumps for recyclable materials as a means to
survive.



In the city of Buenos Aires alone, the IOM/UNICEF research team
counted 8,762 people gathering recyclable materials from garbage
bags on the city streets, and from garbage dumps and landfills.
Nearly half of the informal recyclers or cartoneros in Buenos Aires
are minors; 39% are families who migrated from rural areas. The
families earn an average of US$21 per week.



The research confirms that while the children and their families
suffer, other people benefit from their work. For example, the
cities pays less for the disposal and treatment of waste in
landfills; large companies profit by buying these materials to
recycle and resell at much higher prices; and fewer natural
resources are extracted.



At nightfall, 17-year-old Roxana, her mother, and her six-year-old
nephew travel by foot and train from the Cárcova slum where
they live to the city of Buenos Aires to fill their cart with
recyclable materials. They walk the streets plunging their hands
into plastic bags searching for paper, plastic or cardboard they
can resell. At the end of each night’s disgusting work, they
lug the heavy cart up and down the steep train station ramps to
return home. That same night and the next morning, they separate
their findings before selling them to a warehouse located in their
slum.



Roxana´s family migrated to Buenos Aires Province from a
rural area in Corrientes Province where they farmed a small plot of
land. She was 13 when her single mother started collecting
recyclables after losing her job. At that time, many families in
Roxana´s neighborhood were adopting this survival strategy
due to high unemployment and economic recession. Roxana eventually
quit school and also went to work helping her mother.



Their neighborhood is close to one of the countries largest
landfills, and many people, especially youth, sneak into the
landfill to search for both recyclables and foodstuffs. This is
even more dangerous because the materials are highly toxic, the
ground is unstable, and the air is contaminated. Entering the
landfills has resulted in serious injuries and illnesses to
children and adults.



In October 2004, the IOM and UNICEF offices in Buenos Aires teamed
up to conduct research on the perilous living and working
conditions of children, youth, and adults whose principal survival
strategy is informal waste collection. The research was undertaken
in diverse localities throughout the country in order to achieve a
countrywide perspective.



The quantitative component of the research measured the number of
individuals involved in informal recycling in each locality, and
also surveyed hundreds of families to obtain general information on
this activity and the risks involved. The qualitative component of
the research consisted of in-depth interviews with families of
informal recyclers like Roxana’s and key informants that work
with children and youth. It also included research on existing
initiatives linked to the prevention of this type of child labor
and on efforts by the Government, NGOs and/or informal recyclers
themselves to try and formalize and organize this activity.



The final report of the research, published by IOM and UNICEF,
explains the risks these children face, such as health problems;
low education levels and a high incidence of school dropout;
troubled family life; precarious housing conditions; and
neighborhood insecurity.



IOM and UNICEF are working together to inform the government,
groups of informal recyclers, local companies, NGOs, and the public
at large about their findings. IOM’s goal is to encourage all
of these actors to work together so that children like Roxana and
her nephew can stop working, stay in school, and have access to
other services that will keep them safe while their parents work.
IOM is also advocating for improved working conditions for adults
so that work with recyclable products will become safe and
dignified.



IOM and UNICEF are designing a new project that includes micro
credit schemes to improve working conditions for the adults while
providing alternatives for their children.



Jessica Koehs

IOM Buenos Aires