REVIEW OF MACEDONIAN WASTE POLICIES AND LEGISLATION REGARDING THE INFORMAL WASTE PICKERS

Abstract

In recent years the Macedonian economy was negatively impacted with special emphasis in the waste
sector. This had a tremendous adverse effect on its most valuable, but at the same time, most vulnerable stakeholderthe
waste picker. The volatile prices, the increase of transportation costs and the lack of certain materials, made the
situation in the Macedonian recycling sector to resemble that of the phrase: “Survival of the fittest”.
The post Covid-19 economic recovery demands new sustainable approaches to the waste sector. There is the
challenge to solve the issues in the waste sector by taking into consideration different needs of all the various
stakeholders. For the citizens it is the protection of human health and the environment, for the businesses it is their
profitability, while at the same time these needs have to be affirmatively affecting the informal waste pickers.
The social element of waste management is often neglected as a factor in the Macedonian waste management sector,
though the estimates predict that up to 5,000 informal waste pickers are active and contribute with at least 80% of
the sorted and recovered waste in the country. Instead of praise and support, the general public and the decisionmaking
bodies are interested in eliminating this marginalized group from the waste value chains. Their valuable
societal role is not recognized and there is a need to create actions to protect them and improve their current
positions. This can be done with measures that are synchronized with an improved waste legislation and policies.
That is why, this paper entails a national waste management legislation and policy review. The evidence-based
documents can provide guidance to municipalities and the government on policy creation that would improve the
working and living situation of the informal waste pickers.
This paper is conceptualized as a dynamic, evolving document that different organizations can use to advocate for
the informal waste pickers and negotiate their rightful spaces and entitlements within national and local policies and
practices. By applying measures towards systematic integration as ascribed in this document, the Macedonian local
governments and the national one can tackle core social issues like child illiteracy and poverty, hunger and
homelessness, while simultaneously achieving important economic results like, decreased unemployment, improved
productivity, increased recycling and recovery rates, and more tax income. It can lead to better quality of life for all
Macedonian citizens through a cleaner environment