Cartoneros are the city’s recycling program.
Men and sometimes children from the villas miserias (aka slums) come into the city and wheel around a cart collecting the cardboard and paper products from the trash that litters the city. You see them in every neighborhood at all hours of the day.
When I first got here, I had no clue what they were doing.
I was recently told that this is organized, and they are actually members of collectives. The cartoneros meet up where a large truck comes to gather what everyone has collected for the day and hauls it off to be recycled.
I decided to do some more research.
First, I was surprised to find an entry on this in Wikipedia. Different terms are used to describe these workers. In Latin American countries, the word cartonero is used because it comes from the Spanish word cartón, which means cardboard.
The socioeconomic conditions prevalent in Third World cities that experience rapid urbanization brought about by fast population growth, as well as high immigration rates, create an “opportunity” or “need” for this type of work.
Wikipedia even has specific information about Buenos Aires cartoneros.
Decades of poor governance, labour market reforms and structural adjustment programmes led to the 1999-2002 Argentine Economic Crisis. In 2000, amidst the financial chaos, there were an estimated 40,000 cartoneros … operating in Greater Buenos Aires. Consequently… 100,000 people were living directly off the income generated from the cartoneros. Contemporary figures cite that there are five recycling cooperatives in Buenos Aires, directly employing 110 persons. Unfortunately there is no recent data to suggest if the current population size of the cartoneros has altered significantly since 2000/02… The largest organization of cartoneros is the Excluded Workers Movement… In 2007, this organization led an epic struggle against the right wing local government for the nationalization of the recycling contracts and a general policy for cartoneros in the City of Buenos Aires, which is considered the most advanced program for wastepickers worldwide.
I also found an interesting article from Verge Magazine that includes personal stories from talking with cartoneros in Buenos Aires.
It is hard to imagine this type of existence.
Picking through people’s trash in the affluent neighborhoods of Buenos Aires to make a few dollars a day. Having to bring your children to help earn a larger sum.
I am certainly no expert on the socioeconomic conditions in this city nor do I know what other options exist. But I do wonder what else these people would do to support themselves and their families if this recycling opportunity did not exist.
It may not be considered as a respectable job for others, but I salute them. Considering their financial situation, probably it is the best job they can have so that they will be able to support the needs of their family.
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The most important thing is that they have found a way to support their families. The fact that this is now an organized job is very interesting to me. The city couldn’t provide the service, so the people did.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Actually, in the small and big cities all over the US I see this. Although they are generally those who are not as fortunate, and/or the mentally challenged.
I live in Appleton, Wisconsin, and I see at least 3 different guys that ride bicycles with a large cart attached going around and picking up recyclables. We have allowed one of them to stop at our house on a regular basis and take our aluminum cans.
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Good point. I have seen this in the US as well with specific individuals. When I was in Columbus, I had to pay for a service to come pick up my recyclables. I would have been happy to let someone else pick it up for free and earn the money from it.
Here in Buenos Aires it is just a part of normal day-to-day life. I see anywhere from 3-10 cartoneros a day, depending on the time of day I’m out.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Ah – I saw these people when we were there but wasn’t sure what/who they were
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It took me weeks, maybe even months to find out the story behind what was going on.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Stephanie,
Good article.
This is no different than what people did during the depression in the 30’s in the USA. They were known as “rag” men – picked up anything to recycle.
There is always ways to make money if one has the minds set to survive.
Cheers,
John D. Wilson
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I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. I am seeing it more and more as I travel: the survival mindset.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Actually, a lot of what you see in developing countries are the way the USA used to be.
My father grew up in a 40 ft. by 40 ft, house in Detroit. Him, one brother, one sister and parents in the house.
Your sign thing – that was done during the depression.
History is a good teacher of what to expect to see in the future. The technology might change, but the basics are always going to be used.
Cheers,
John D. Wilson
John D. Wilson recently posted..Latest Honduran headlines – cocaine hub for Central America
Awww, very sad! Always hard to see such things.
When I was in Budapest last month, they were having their city’s twice annual North American equivalent of “spring cleaning” with locals placing all their junk (old couches, stoves etc) in the street. Gypsies were then sweeping the street taking everything you can imagine. Was also sad to see!
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But it is also a good way to get people to clean out the stuff they don’t need and others can benefit from it.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Foreigner’s Perspective on Argentina Elections
Thanks for another interesting post…we sometimes forget what the rest of the world is like.
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It is also easy to overlook when you only have a few days to visit a place.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Definitely. I have seen them in most countries I have visited, but most recently was in Nicaragua when a woman knocked on our door early on a Saturday morning, wanting to know if we had any botellas. We had tons of them, too many for her to even carry, but she gladly took them. We gave her as many plastic bags as we could (wonder if those got recycled!) but it didn’t matter-she just wanted the bottles.
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Definitely prevalent in most places I’ve been in Latin America. What amazes me most is that there are actually cooperatives for this here in Buenos Aires. Makes me wonder if other parts of the world have managed to bring some organization to it.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
I wrote a bit about the cartoneros on my Thoughts On Argentina post awhile back (The last sub-head in this long entry: http://postcardvalet.com/2011/05/25/thoughts-on-argentina-ii/) I talked with some of our friends in Buenos Aires about them, trying to understand how they could function the way they do. It’s a really twisty, political mess!
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I remember reading that in your post. It is interesting that it has become a political thing.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Stephanie,
REALLY enoyed your past couple of posts (like them ALL actually) but the past ones have made me google for information about where you are at. I’ve actually had discussions with folks at work about the stuff you posted about voting and this particular post. Gets people thinking. We are not alone on this big planet! Thanks for getting me to think these things!
Thanks, Jennie! You just made my day
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Yep, they have those in Santiago too. It breaks my heart. I always give them money because I think that they are working, trying to make an honest living. I’d much rather hand them some cash than give to people that sit out on the steps of the metro begging.
Agreed. Are they organized in Santiago as well?
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
It’s commendable that they are finding a way to support their family, but what a difficult living for them. It probably offers little income.
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I imagine it is a small amount because I have heard most of them live in the villas. You also see their children with them sometimes, even at night.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
They’re such a part of daily life growing up in Jakarta. We had the cardboard collecting guys, and the plastic bottle collecting guys, and the newspaper guys – each of them has a different call as they pass (some shout some unintelligible non sense, while others have a little drum they hit) through the neighborhood so we know which one they are without having to peek through the window.
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Interesting. I haven’t seen much distinction here with what they are collecting. It would be so much easier if people just separated their trash and recyclables when they put stuff out on the curb.
The Travel Chica recently posted..A Great Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
Interesting write up. This is very common in Asia. I see this in Taiwan alot, same guys, same time, same cart, same place. It is a way to make some money and as Candice said, I salute them as well. There is something very pure about life at a basic level in an industrialized state.
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