LIVING CONDITIONS, HEALTH, AND WORK OF RECYCLABLE SOLID WASTE PICKERS: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze, through an integrative review, the scientific evidence regarding the health, working conditions, and vulnerability of recyclable waste pickers. The review was conducted using searches in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases, employing descriptors related to occupational health, solid waste, and social vulnerability. A total of 12 studies published in Portuguese and English were included, encompassing different methodological designs, such as qualitative, quantitative, review, and documentary studies. The findings reveal that waste pickers are situated within contexts of multidimensional social vulnerability, characterized by low educational levels, informality, and social exclusion. Precarious working conditions were identified, with exposure to physical, chemical, and biological risks, often associated with inadequate or absent protective measures. Furthermore, a mismatch was observed between the normative recognition of this activity and its actual social and economic valuation, as well as weaknesses in the implementation of public policies aimed at this group. It is concluded that the living and working conditions of waste pickers are determined by structural factors that articulate social inequalities, labor precarization, and institutional limitations. The study highlights the need to strengthen intersectoral public policies focused on social inclusion, health protection, and the valorization of this workforce, as well as to promote further research capable of deepening the understanding of the multiple dimensions surrounding this reality.