The lived experiences of women waste recyclers who use bricolage as a mechanism to create value

Abstract

"There is insufficient knowledge around the lived experiences of women waste recyclers who use bricolage as a mechanism to create value. Nor do we have an appreciation for the significance that women waste recyclers construct around their roles. Despite the harsh environments they work in and hazardous health risks faced daily, they pursue waste recycling in the informal sector, which benefits society. Yet little is known about these “invisible environmentalists “. Women waste recyclers contribute to filling an institutional void in the formal waste management system. Working with whatever resources they have to hand, they successfully collect, sort and recycle valuable waste materials, which are then redistributed into the consumer supply chain. How do they do with in a constrained environment with no formalised support? Yet the impact they make to the environment is invaluable. This research looks to understand the causal factors as to why women waste recyclers, who are creatively entrepreneurial at the BoP, pursue waste recycling. It seeks to understand the push and pull factors that move them into recycling and what keeps them in it. The research also seeks to understand how entrepreneurs at the BoP are successful, despite constrained environments, which is particularly interesting for emerging economies."