Waste Municipal Service and Informal Recycling Sector in Fast-Growing Asian Cities: Co-Existence, Opposition or Integration?

Rémi de Bercegol (1) , Jérémie Cavé (2) , Arch Nguyen Thai Huyen (3)

1 PRODIG - Pôle de recherche pour l'organisation et la diffusion de l'information géographique
2 LATTS - Laboratoire Techniques, Territoires et Sociétés
3 Faculty of Urban and Rural Planning, Hanoi Architectural University

Despite being generally poorly recognized by public authorities, informal recycling remains nevertheless a major component in the waste sector, which questions the legitimacy of the official waste arrangements. A look at the current transformation in Hanoi (Vietnam), Delhi (India) and Surabaya (Indonesia) allows us to understand the socio-technical aspects of infrastructural choices in the management of waste generated in fast-growing Asian cities. The three cases present similar traditional recycling practices yet contrasted (non-) regulation within their waste policies. From the co-existence of a municipal waste management service with a traditional informal recycling sector, to an opposition between both, there is also a possibility of making use of the existing local practices to achieve a more sustainable system.

Mots clés: Waste management; Recycling informal sector; Fast-growing cities; Hanoi; Delhi; Surabaya

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société; Géographie

Rémi de Bercegol, Jérémie Cavé, Arch Nguyen Thai Huyen. Waste Municipal Service and Informal Recycling Sector in Fast-Growing Asian Cities: Co-Existence, Opposition or Integration?. HR Resources, 2017, 6 (4), ⟨10.3390/resources6040070⟩. ⟨halshs-01702748⟩