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Envisioning waste utopias to create dignified waste work

Raphael, Riya LU (2025) In Economic and Industrial Democracy
Abstract
This paper explores ‘utopia as method’ to envision solid waste and sewage management systems which are equitable and sustainable. Global solid waste management is largely sustained by millions of waste pickers who collect, sort and manage waste. Sanitation workers play a vital role in maintaining sewage systems. These workers are exposed to dangerous, toxic workspaces, and they often belong to marginalised socio-economic groups. Labour market segregation on the basis of gender, racialisation and caste is particularly visible in the case of waste-related occupations as workers face stigmatisation. In South Asia, Dalits (lowest caste groups) are significantly overrepresented as sanitation workers and waste pickers. Thus, this conceptual... (More)
This paper explores ‘utopia as method’ to envision solid waste and sewage management systems which are equitable and sustainable. Global solid waste management is largely sustained by millions of waste pickers who collect, sort and manage waste. Sanitation workers play a vital role in maintaining sewage systems. These workers are exposed to dangerous, toxic workspaces, and they often belong to marginalised socio-economic groups. Labour market segregation on the basis of gender, racialisation and caste is particularly visible in the case of waste-related occupations as workers face stigmatisation. In South Asia, Dalits (lowest caste groups) are significantly overrepresented as sanitation workers and waste pickers. Thus, this conceptual paper draws upon studies from India, to explore and imagine possibilities of anti-caste futures within visions of sustainable waste management. The paper highlights the need to incorporate worker-centric approaches and anti-caste politics to build ecologically sustainable and socio-economically equitable waste infrastructures. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
waste technologies, anti-caste, waste pickers, manual scavengers, waste utopias, sanitation workers, sewage workers
in
Economic and Industrial Democracy
publisher
SAGE Publications
ISSN
0143-831X
DOI
10.1177/0143831X251387433
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
51778e47-6720-4646-aa30-76f876821397
date added to LUP
2025-11-04 13:56:38
date last changed
2025-11-05 16:25:32
@article{51778e47-6720-4646-aa30-76f876821397,
  abstract     = {{This paper explores ‘utopia as method’ to envision solid waste and sewage management systems which are equitable and sustainable. Global solid waste management is largely sustained by millions of waste pickers who collect, sort and manage waste. Sanitation workers play a vital role in maintaining sewage systems. These workers are exposed to dangerous, toxic workspaces, and they often belong to marginalised socio-economic groups. Labour market segregation on the basis of gender, racialisation and caste is particularly visible in the case of waste-related occupations as workers face stigmatisation. In South Asia, Dalits (lowest caste groups) are significantly overrepresented as sanitation workers and waste pickers. Thus, this conceptual paper draws upon studies from India, to explore and imagine possibilities of anti-caste futures within visions of sustainable waste management. The paper highlights the need to incorporate worker-centric approaches and anti-caste politics to build ecologically sustainable and socio-economically equitable waste infrastructures.}},
  author       = {{Raphael, Riya}},
  issn         = {{0143-831X}},
  keywords     = {{waste technologies; anti-caste; waste pickers; manual scavengers; waste utopias; sanitation workers; sewage workers}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Economic and Industrial Democracy}},
  title        = {{Envisioning waste utopias to create dignified waste work}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0143831X251387433}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0143831X251387433}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}