A Case Example
In Bacolod, in the Philippines, the stakeholder group has worked to integrate the wastepickers into the formal waste management system. Wastepickers are among the poorest of the poor. They generally have the lowest social and economic status, are marginalized and are not formally recognized for their important role as recyclers of waste. After presentations to the stakeholder committee, initiatives were undertaken to broaden awareness of the waste pickers' important role in the community and to improve the safety and effectiveness of their recycling activities. What began as a process of awareness building has resulted in actions to improve the livelihoods and well being of those dependent upon garbage.

Some Results to date:
The need for functional literacy became evident as part of the health and safety training and led to the establishment of a program and the building of a one-room school on the waste site for the scavengers' children.

• A community vegetable garden was started and provided an alternate income for several families who were left destitute when the dump site closed for three months.