Ecofeminist Perspectives on Urban Waste Picking, Circular Economies, and Environmental Justice

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 197–210

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001329

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Ecofeminist Perspectives on Urban Waste Picking, Circular Economies, and Environmental Justice

Names of Author: Fatima Bello-Kano¹, Fernanda Souza², & Lukas Novak³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Environmental Management, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria; ²Department of Urban Studies, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; ³Department of Environmental Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Abstract:
Informal waste pickers form the unacknowledged backbone of urban recycling and circular economies across rapidly growing cities in the Global South, diverting millions of tons of plastics and metals from landfills. Women constitute a substantial proportion of waste sorters and recyclers, yet they are concentrated in the lowest-paid, most hazardous tiers of the recycling value chain without protective gear, childcare facilities, or municipal recognition. When cities privatize waste management through corporate concessions, female waste pickers face displacement from landfills and loss of livelihood. This paper examines the organizing strategies of women-led waste picker cooperatives in Kano, Nigeria, and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Anchored in ecofeminist political economy and environmental justice theory, the study combines ethnographic observation with 52 interviews. We demonstrate how cooperative unionization enables women to secure municipal recycling contracts, improve occupational safety, and assert environmental stewardship.

Keywords: Ecofeminism, urban waste picking, circular economy, environmental justice, informal workers, women’s cooperatives, Nigeria, Brazil

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 30, 2026; Revised: September 30, 2026; Accepted: October 04, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Bello-Kano, F., Souza, F., & Novak, L. (2026). Ecofeminist Perspectives on Urban Waste Picking, Circular Economies, and Environmental Justice. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 197–210. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001329

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