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

Given the relatively small population of Thimphu, the number of scrap dealers and second-hand and repair shops is low. Still, there are quite a few formal (registered) and informal (not registered) scrap dealers. All of these engage several informal or family workers. All dealers and shops visited during the field visit were owned by men. Women sometimes worked in the scrap yards, some of which were home to the scrap yard owner’s family. In general, scrap dealers earn the following from recyclable waste:

Bhutan

• good quality plastic: US$ 0.2/kg • low quality plastic: US$ 0.14/kg • paper cardboard: US$ 0.06/kg • PET bottles: US$ 0.18–0.2/kg • beer bottles: US$ 0.04–0.07/bottle.

Recycling materials into crafts and artisanal objects, such as baskets and bags using plastic wrappers or Tetra Pak, is typically seen as being a female activity, even though men were weavers traditionally.

Considerable amounts of e-waste end up with scrap dealers who sell it in India. Photo by Ieva Rucevska.

There are a number of second hand and electronic repair-shops in Thimphu. Photo by Tina Schoolmeester.

72 Gender and waste nexus