Kenyan waste pickers cut through the formalities of international diplomacy today as they took to the stage at the ACUNS 2025 Annual Meeting in Nairobi, using theatre to issue a plea for inclusion, justice and recognition within the global plastics treaty process.
The annual gathering of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) , held under the theme Environmental Multilateralism and Human Development, brought together delegates from across the world to explore how global cooperation can respond to mounting environmental and social challenges.
Twelve waste pickers from Nairobi's informal settlements presented a legislative theatre performance that illustrated the social, economic, and health-related challenges associated with their work and highlighted essential elements for just transition within the plastics economy . The performance offered delegates a perspective on the realities faced by waste pickers, based on their direct experiences.
The interactive performance, co-developed in the informal settlement Dandora with Kenyan theatre facilitators and researchers from the University of Portsmouth and University of the Arts London, offered a rare platform for these essential workers to speak directly to their audience. The play not only highlighted the precarious conditions under which waste pickers operate, but also encouraged the delegates, including academics, policymakers and UN representatives to engage with the actors and consider alternative policy scenarios.
Image Credit: Igor Buric
Waste pickers are estimated to number over 20 million globally and are responsible for recovering around 60 per cent of the world's post-consumer plastic waste. Despite their environmental contributions and extensive knowledge of waste streams, there is a critical need for better understanding and implementation of a just transition for waste pickers, especially given the current UN global plastics treaty negotiations that will determine the future of plastic regulation.
Dr Cressida Bowyer , Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability and Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth, led the theatre projects. "This project created an opportunity for waste pickers to share their knowledge and experiences directly with policymakers," she said. "Legislative theatre has the potential to transform perceptions and understanding, amplifying the voices of those who have expert on-the-ground knowledge so they can help shape a sustainable future."
The project was a collaborative effort between academics, theatre practitioners and members of the Social Justice Centre Travelling Theatre and the Kenyan National Waste Pickers Welfare Association, ensuring that the content remained rooted in lived experience.
For ACUNS, an independent global network committed to dialogue around the UN's work, the performance was a reminder that environmental multilateralism must be grounded in social justice.
As negotiations around a global plastics treaty continue, the message from Nairobi was clear: any meaningful agreement must recognise and integrate the perspectives of waste pickers as co-designers.
