Cooperatives protest proposed changes to Buenos Aires recycling system

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On Wednesday, the Argentine Federation of Waste Pickers, Carreros y Recicladores (FACCyR) organized a protest in Buenos Aires involving cooperatives and social groups to oppose changes to the city's dry-waste management system. The demonstrations, which moved from the intersection of Belgrano and Jujuy avenues to the Once railway station, were triggered by a proposed government tender that would divide the city into six zones and potentially contract private companies for services currently handled by 12 worker-led cooperatives. Recyclers argued that the new requirements, such as GPS and telemetry tracking, threaten the livelihoods of approximately 7,000 families who have operated within this inclusive model for over two decades. The dispute centers on the City Government's goal of increasing technological efficiency versus the cooperatives' concern that they will be pushed out of the market amid an already difficult economic climate.

Consequences

The administrative process regarding the future of the dry-waste management system will continue as the City Government prepares to finalize the new tender. This ongoing policy shift poses a direct risk to the economic stability of thousands of cartoneros whose income relies on current city-contracted arrangements and the sale of recyclable materials.

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