Gender and Waste Nexus: Experiences from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal

Mongolia

Informal recycling site in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, 2018. There is no formal recycling collection system or large-scale processing facility in Ulaanbaatar. A few private recycling companies have established collection points and recycling facilities such as this informal site. Many of these sites are adjacent to the city’s landfills, which makes it easier for landfill pickers to sell their goods. Pickers are paid in cash for their goods at recycling centres, which is a much better situation that at construction sites or at many private companies, where there are often delays (and fraudulent practices) in receiving payments. Overall, pickers can make more money than street sweepers, but being on the landfill is a dirty and dangerous job that has a considerably lower social status. Photo by Joni Seager.

A waste chute in an older apartment building in Ulaanbaatar. Photos by Joni Seager.

Gender and waste nexus

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