Informal waste pickers play an essential role in Pakistan's waste management and recycling systems, yet many continue to work in difficult and insecure conditions with limited legal recognition, low incomes and little access to social protection and basic services. Participants at a training workshop emphasized that cooperative models could help strengthen livelihoods, improve working conditions and support the formalization of waste pickers in Pakistan.
Pakistan generates more than 50 million tonnes of solid waste annually, with waste volumes increasing by over 2.4 per cent each year. Waste pickers manage a significant share of this waste by collecting, sorting, and recovering recyclable materials across the recycling value chain, including from landfills, while helping to reduce the burden on municipal waste systems. The sector, largely composed of family-run and micro-enterprises, provides livelihoods to many marginalized communities.
Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy organizations can play an important role in supporting the transition of informal waste pickers towards formal and more sustainable livelihoods. By working collectively through cooperatives, waste pickers can strengthen their voice, improve their incomes and working conditions, and gain better access to markets, services, and social protection.
To support these efforts, the International Labour Organization, in partnership with the Labour Research and Development Institute (LRDI) under the Pakistan United Workers Federation (PUWF) and the Akhter Hameed Khan Foundation (AHK Foundation), is supporting the formalization of the work of informal waste pickers in Sahiwal, Punjab Province through the Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion through Organization and Formalization (PRS) - Phase 2 Project, funded by the Government of Japan.
As part of the initiative, the ILO and PUWF co-organized the first national training-of-trainers workshop on the adapted ILO Think.COOP and Start.COOP tools in Lahore from 27 April to 2 May 2026. The six-day training brought together 25 participants, including representatives from government institutions, employers' and workers' organizations, and technical experts.
© ILO Pakistan
The workshop provided a platform for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to promoting the cooperative model in Pakistan, particularly for workers in the informal economy.
Heejin Ahn, Project Technical Officer at the ILO emphasized, "The cooperative model provides a pathway for transitioning informal waste pickers into recognized, formal waste service providers. It can also support recycling and material recovery efforts while improving livelihoods and contributing to environmental sustainability. For this approach to succeed, active collaboration with municipal authorities and private sector partners will be essential to develop inclusive and sustainable waste management systems in which waste pickers are recognized as legitimate partners."
Syed Abaan, representative from the Employers Federation of Pakistan, said, "I learnt how this tool can be used to bring informal workers together to pool their resources effectively. By coming together under a cooperative framework, they can scale their operations and reduce costs in a way they simply could not achieve on their own.''
The training marked an important step towards building a network of local trainers and advocates who can help integrate cooperative approaches into policy and programme planning and support their implementation in Pakistan.
As a next step, selected local participants will deliver adapted training for informal waste pickers in the Islamabad Capital Territory and Sahiwal, Punjab Province, to support the establishment of a viable cooperative model. Opportunities will also be explored with national and local authorities to legally recognize waste picker cooperatives as partners in the waste management system. The initiative ultimately aims to enhance the visibility, bargaining power, and livelihoods of waste pickers while supporting their transition to formal, more secure employment.
