Challenges in ‘Community Organisation’ …
179
4 Challenges to Community Organisation Among Scrap
Pickers
4.1 Seasonal Fluctuations and Operational Variations
in Scrap Picking
There are seasonal variations in scrap picking. It is important to note here that the
peak season for the scrap collection seems to be during summers and just before the
Diwali festival. During summers most scrap pickers get a substantial increase in the
collection of plastic bottles. During the festive season, most households in Gujarat
replace many old household items with new ones and so the scrap pickers tend to
get more and better quality scrap during this time. The monsoon or rainy days of the
season seem to be lean season for most scrap pickers as this is the time that most
discarded waste becomes wet. Gleaning dry scrap material in the wet conditions is
difficult. Moreover, wet recyclable materials fetch a lower price and need to be dried
prior to selling. However, of all the categories of waste pickers, the ‘street side’ and
‘open landfill’ scrap pickers are the most affected, since their operational spaces
are more prone to wet conditions. In addition, different categories of waste pickers
have widely varying operational cycles ranging from daily sale to bi-monthly sale
cycles. Thus, these different groups of waste pickers face different risks and their
collection efficiency varies based on seasonal conditions and risk-bearing capacity.
Thus, it is pertinent to create ‘self-help groups (SHGs)’ considering these seasonal
and operational variations among different categories of waste pickers, as this is
likely to impact such aspects like requirement for funds and other support, during
the lean season.
4.2 Constant Dislocation, Changing Operational Conditions
and Urbanisation
Many scrap picker households and enterprises keep changing their locations of
operation and stay. This change of location happens as a result of three primary
factors:
4.2.1 As the area urbanises, a lack of affordable spaces for storage is seen. This
is because other economic activities (which can afford to pay higher rentals) price
‘waste picking’ out of the area; average space usage for storage has been found to
be relatively higher in peri-urban locations and almost one-third in core/walled city
areas. Moreover, the peri-urban waste picking units operate with longer cycles of
waste collection and sale since they have more space for storage, which reduces their
exposure to the risk of price fluctuations.
4.2.2 Scrap picker households are pushed out from an area on account of antiencroachment drive or eviction drives as the land tenure conditions on which such
179
4 Challenges to Community Organisation Among Scrap
Pickers
4.1 Seasonal Fluctuations and Operational Variations
in Scrap Picking
There are seasonal variations in scrap picking. It is important to note here that the
peak season for the scrap collection seems to be during summers and just before the
Diwali festival. During summers most scrap pickers get a substantial increase in the
collection of plastic bottles. During the festive season, most households in Gujarat
replace many old household items with new ones and so the scrap pickers tend to
get more and better quality scrap during this time. The monsoon or rainy days of the
season seem to be lean season for most scrap pickers as this is the time that most
discarded waste becomes wet. Gleaning dry scrap material in the wet conditions is
difficult. Moreover, wet recyclable materials fetch a lower price and need to be dried
prior to selling. However, of all the categories of waste pickers, the ‘street side’ and
‘open landfill’ scrap pickers are the most affected, since their operational spaces
are more prone to wet conditions. In addition, different categories of waste pickers
have widely varying operational cycles ranging from daily sale to bi-monthly sale
cycles. Thus, these different groups of waste pickers face different risks and their
collection efficiency varies based on seasonal conditions and risk-bearing capacity.
Thus, it is pertinent to create ‘self-help groups (SHGs)’ considering these seasonal
and operational variations among different categories of waste pickers, as this is
likely to impact such aspects like requirement for funds and other support, during
the lean season.
4.2 Constant Dislocation, Changing Operational Conditions
and Urbanisation
Many scrap picker households and enterprises keep changing their locations of
operation and stay. This change of location happens as a result of three primary
factors:
4.2.1 As the area urbanises, a lack of affordable spaces for storage is seen. This
is because other economic activities (which can afford to pay higher rentals) price
‘waste picking’ out of the area; average space usage for storage has been found to
be relatively higher in peri-urban locations and almost one-third in core/walled city
areas. Moreover, the peri-urban waste picking units operate with longer cycles of
waste collection and sale since they have more space for storage, which reduces their
exposure to the risk of price fluctuations.
4.2.2 Scrap picker households are pushed out from an area on account of antiencroachment drive or eviction drives as the land tenure conditions on which such