Uplifting people is key to solving the plastic pollution crisis

Key Messages:

The global plastic pollution crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and without action, plastic production, use and waste are expected to increase by 70% in 2040. Yet, at its heart lies powerful and under-appreciated forces for transformation: women and informal workers. These individuals, including local recyclers and small-scale entrepreneurs, experience the worst effects of the plastic pollution crisis, but are also critical agents of change and market drivers to accelerate the shift towards a sustainable plastics economy.

Historically, women and informal workers have fought on the front lines against plastic pollution, often taking the leadership in community cleanup efforts to keep cities and bodies of waste clean from plastic waste. Incorporating their voices into decision-making across public and private sectors can strengthen national and global efforts, ensuring solutions are responsive to systemic obstacles. Furthermore, a gender-responsive design of measures to tackle plastic pollution can make interventions more effective and thus more impactful.

There’s widespread agreement that transitioning to a circular economy for plastics must align with creating a plastics value chain that is both inclusive and gender-responsive. This requires amplifying voices and responding to the needs of women and informal workers, addressing their unique challenges, and ensuring they have a seat at the table where decisions are made. But how can this vision be realized in practical terms?

Women, particularly in the Global South, are at the forefront of informal waste management systems. Their work – often undervalued and invisible – provides the backbone of plastic collection, sorting and recycling processes. By some estimates, 20 million people are employed in the informal waste sector globally, with women making up a significant proportion.

Far from being passive participants, women and informal workers are drivers of efforts to reduce plastic pollution, with the latter accounting for 60% of plastic waste collected globally. Their contributions highlight untapped market potential: inclusive practices that empower individuals can lead to increased efficiency, innovation, and profitability in waste management and recycling systems.

Incorporating women as equal participants in formal plastic economies is also a significant economic opportunity as the global transition to a circular economy progresses. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that transitioning to a circular economy – where waste materials such as clothing, scrap metal and obsolete electronics are reused, recycled and refurbished – could create approximately 7-8 million new jobs globally by 2030. Businesses and governments that recognize and invest in the contributions of women in the informal sector can catalyse growth while addressing systemic inequalities.

Throughout the whole lifecycle of plastics, gender influences the impacts and roles that individuals experience. This starts with the extraction of oil and gas, where women only hold approximately 20% of jobs in the industry but are disproportionately affected by negative consequences. The pattern continues in the production phase, where women are often underrepresented and typically work in lower-skilled jobs with poor working conditions.

During use and consumption, gender roles in society make women important change agents. For example, women hold immense influence as it pertains to consumer spending and therefore play a key role in raising consciousness about the impact of product choice, reuse and behaviour change measures. In addition, they are the primary consumers of plastic-intensive products like cosmetics, menstrual products, or products for cleaning and care work. When addressing the disposal of plastic waste, campaigns can take stereotypes into consideration. Finally, as mentioned before, a gender-differentiated approach to waste management and recycling is very important.

Women play a vital role as change-makers across society – as consumers, entrepreneurs, household managers and policy-makers. Their decisions often reflect greater environmental awareness, positioning them as key agents in driving sustainable practices. However, systemic barriers such as limited access to education, finance and technology; underrepresentation in STEM fields; misalignment between emerging job opportunities and women's skill sets; unpaid care responsibilities; and discriminatory social norms and laws hinder their full potential as leaders of change.

The ongoing negotiations for a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (also known as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution) provide a unique opportunity to highlight the need for prioritizing social inclusion in global interventions.

In the meantime, national governments and regional bodies have the opportunity to invest in inclusive plastic management policies that would include advocating for the rights of marginalized communities, improving worker protections, investing in sustainable alternatives, and more. These national interventions can lay the groundwork for a more equitable and sustainable future.

Initiatives such as the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) aim to guide global and national stakeholders in integrating gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) into comprehensive plastic action plans and supporting the capacity building of informal waste workers. This includes developing knowledge products including national GESI assessments in each of our partner countries to better inform stakeholders of the societal implications of plastic pollution. GPAP has completed assessments in Ghana, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Nigeria, Pakistan and Maharashtra, India.

Through our global leadership, we've developed a guide to support stakeholders with gender-responsive actions to eliminate plastic pollution.

To date, GPAP has supported the improved livelihoods of 12,000 informal waste workers through our informal economy subgrant programme in partnership with the UK Department of Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs. These efforts not only promote equity, but also enhance the overall effectiveness and sustainability of solutions.

If you want to learn more about the topic and get some recommendations for gender-differentiated measures to tackle plastic pollution, visit our GPAP website.