A SECOND CHANCE: THE VALUE OF RECYCLING AND HUMAN DIGNITY

Abstract

This article analyzes recycling beyond its strictly environmental dimension, considering its relationship with human dignity, social inclusion, and socio-environmental justice. This is a qualitative, bibliographic, and documentary study, developed through the analysis of academic publications, normative documents, and institutional sources related to solid waste management, the work of recyclable material collectors, and socio-environmental inclusion policies. The analysis shows that waste pickers play a fundamental role in the collection, sorting, and recovery of materials, contributing to waste reduction and the circular economy, although they still face informality, precarious working conditions, income instability, and limited social recognition. The study also demonstrates that the persistence of open dumps and other inadequate forms of waste disposal reveals weaknesses in environmental management and deepens social and territorial inequalities. In this context, the strengthening of waste picker cooperatives and associations, environmental education, social participation, and the inclusive adoption of technologies capable of improving recycling efficiency and workers’ autonomy are particularly relevant. It is concluded that valuing recycling is not limited to the recovery of materials, but also requires recognizing waste pickers as rights-bearing individuals and essential agents in the construction of environmentally sustainable and socially just waste management systems.