Plastic Waste Management in MoroccoA Sociological Reflection about the Informal Sector in the Circular Economy

  1. Iria Vázquez Silva 1
  2. Javier de Rivera Outomuro 1
  1. 1 Universidade de Vigo
    info

    Universidade de Vigo

    Vigo, España

    ROR https://ror.org/05rdf8595

Revista:
Revista galega de economía: Publicación Interdisciplinar da Facultade de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais

ISSN: 1132-2799

Año de publicación: 2024

Volumen: 33

Número: 2

Páginas: 180-201

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.15304/RGE.33.2.9285 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Revista galega de economía: Publicación Interdisciplinar da Facultade de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais

Resumen

This article delves into a compelling case study examining the intricate connection between plastic waste management in Morocco, with a particular focus on Casablanca and Rabat, and the disparate working conditions experienced by workers, both in formal and informal roles, within this sector. All of this unfolds within the broader context of the sector's shift towards the principles of the Circular Economy. To accomplish this, we draw upon insights from a diverse array of experts in the field, as well as input from key stakeholders, including public administration overseeing the transition process, representatives from the private business sector, and the informal waste collectors themselves. Through this multifaceted approach, we gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies and subtleties surrounding the evolution of waste management practices in Morocco. Additionally, it enables us to pinpoint the primary challenges associated with achieving social justice in the context of transitioning toward a Circular Economy.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Chokhandre, P., Singh, S., & Kashyap, G.C. (2017). Prevalence, predictors and economic burden of morbidities among waste-pickers of Mumbai, India: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-017-0176-3
  • Cirelli, C., & Florin, B. (Eds.) (2015). Sociétés urbaines et déchets. Éclairages internationaux, Tours: Presses universitaires François-Rabelais.
  • Cirelli, C., Florin, B., & de Bercegol, R. (2019). Picturing Waste. Materials, bodies and practices. EchoGéo, 47, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.4000/echogeo.18549
  • Colombo, L. A., Pansera, M., & Owen, R. (2019). The discourse of eco-innovation in the European Union: An analysis of the Eco-Innovation Action Plan and Horizon 2020. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, 653–665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.150
  • Comisión Europea (2018). A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 28. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2df5d1d2-fac7-11e7-b8f5-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
  • Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2014). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. SAGE Publications.
  • Dias, S. M. (2016). Waste pickers and cities. Environment and Urbanization, 28(2), 375-390. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247816657302
  • Dahchour, A., & Hajjaji, S. E. (2020). Management of Solid Waste in Morocco. In A. M. Negm & N. Shareef (Eds.), Waste Management in MENA Regions (pp. 13–33). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18350-9
  • El Ghoufi, D., & Arib, F. (2019). L’innovation sociale, une réponse aux défis sociaux et environnementaux: cas d’une coopérative marocaine de recyclage de déchets. Repères et Perspectives Economiques, 3(2), 155 -174. https://doi.org/10.34874/IMIST.PRSM/RPE/16994
  • Ez-Zaouine, J., & Elouidani, A. (2019). Contribution de la sphere informelle a l’economie Marocaine: Quelles mesures de transition vers l’economie formale. Cas de la cooperative Attawafouk de tri des dechets. Revue Marocaine de recherche en management et marketing, 19, 279-302. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.3679469
  • Fekri, A., Pineau, J.-L., Wahbi, M., Benbouziane, A., & Marrakchi, C. (2006). Les lixiviats de la décharge de déchets urbains de la ville de Casablanca (Maroc), une pollution annoncée. Environnement, Ingénierie & Développement, 42,4-6. https://doi.org/10.4267/dechets-sciences-techniques.1776
  • Fernández, L. & Chen, M. (2015, 4 de diciembre). Recycling Livelihoods. A Global Network Supports Waste Pickers in Latin America. ReVisTa. Harvard Review of Latin América, 2. https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/recycling-livelihoods/
  • Florin, B. (2015). Réforme, crise, ajustements et malentendus entre acteurs: quand la question des déchets deient un problème public. L’exemple du Caire (Égypte). En Cirelli, C., & Florin, B. (Eds.) Sociétés urbaines et déchets. Éclairages internationaux, Tours: Presses universitaires François-Rabelais, 239-268.
  • Florin, B. (2016). Les récupérateurs de déchets à Casablanca: L’«inclusion perverse» de travailleurs à la marge. Sociologie et Sociétés, 47(1), 73–96. https://doi.org/10.7202/1034419ar
  • Florin, B., Azaitraoui, M., & Garret, P. (2017). The small hands of Moroccan recycling. The Conversation. https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01718517
  • Friant, M. C., Vermeulen, W. J., & Salomone, R. (2021). Analysing European Union circular economy policies: Words versus actions. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 27, 337-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.11.001
  • Fundación Ellen MacArthur Foundation, & Foro Económico Mundial (2017). The New Plastics Economy – Catalysing Action. West Cowes, UK: Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
  • Garret, P., & Florin, B. (2018). Rien ne se perd, tout se récupère! Pour une reconnaissance des récupérateurs informels de Casablanca. Revue Urbanités 11, 1-23.
  • Genovese, A., & Pansera, M. (2021). The Circular Economy at a Crossroads: Technocratic Eco-Modernism or Convivial Technology for Social Revolution? Capitalism Nature Socialism, 32 (2), 95-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/10455752.2020.1763414Ghisellini
  • Ghisellini, P.; Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: the expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007
  • Giampietro, M., & Funtowicz, S. O. (2020). From elite folk science to the policy legend of the circular economy. Environmental Science and Policy, 109, 64–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.012
  • Giannotta, A.K. (2022). Making Place for Waste: Governance Between the Formal and Informal by Casablancan Waste collection and Collectors. Diacronie. Studi di Storia Contemporanea, 44. https://www.studistorici.com/2020/12/29/giannotta_numero_44/
  • Harvey, D. (2018). Justicia, naturaleza y la geografía de la diferencia, Madrid: Traficantes de sueños.
  • Hoornweg, D., & Bhada-Tata, P. (2012). What a waste: A global review of solid waste management. Washington, D.C: The World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/17388
  • ICEX, Oficina Económica y Comercial de la Embajada de España en Rabat (2020). Gestión de residuos de plástico en Marruecos. https://www.icex.es/content/dam/es/icex/oficinas/097/documentos/2020/12/documentos-anexos/DOC2020866556.pdf.
  • Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., Narayan, R., & Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347(6223), 768-771. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1260352
  • Jambeck, J., Hardesty, B. D., Brooks, A. L., Friend, T., Teleki, K., Fabres, J., Beaudoin, Y., Bamba, A., Francis, J., Ribbink, A. J., Baleta, T., Bouwman, H., Knox, J., & Wilcox, C. (2018). Challenges and emerging solutions to the land-based plastic waste issue in Africa. Marine Policy, 96, 256-263.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.10.041
  • Jasanoff, S. (2007). Technologies of humility. Nature, 450(7166), 33. https://doi.org/10.1038/450033a
  • Kaza, S., Yao, L. C., Bhada-Tata, P., &Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development. Washington, D.C: The World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30317
  • Kirchherr, J., & van Santen, R. (2019). Research on the circular economy: A critique of the field. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 151, 104480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104480
  • Leslie, H.A., Leonards, Pim, Brandsma, S., Boer, J. & Jonkers, N. (2016). Propelling plastics into the circular economy- weeding out the toxics first. Environment International, 94, 230-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.012
  • Martínez, B., & Barca, S. (2023). Gender Justice and Circular Economy. https://just2ce.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Attachment_0.pdf
  • Medina, M. (2008). The informal recycling sector in developing countries: Organizing waste pickers to enhance their impact. Washington D.C: The World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10586
  • MTEDD. Ministère de la Transition Énergetique et du development Durable (2022). L’écotaxe au service du développement de la filière de recyclage du plastique. http://www.environnement.gov.ma/fr/component/content/article?id=633
  • Pansera, M., Genovese, A., & Ripa, M. (2021). Politicising Circular Economy: what can we learn from Responsible Innovation? Journal of Responsible Innovation, 8(3), 471-477. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2021.1923315
  • Parra, F. (2015). Reciclaje: ¡Sí, pero con recicladores! Gestión pública del aprovechamiento con inclusión de recicladores: Un nuevo paradigma en el manejo de los residuos en Bogotá, Colombia. Cambridge, Estados Unidos: Wiego.
  • Parra, F (2020). The Struggle of Waste Pickers in Colombia: From being considered trash, to being recognised as workers. Anti-Trafficking Review, 15, 122–136. https://doi.org/10.14197/atr.201220157
  • Pérez Orozco, A. (2014). Subversión de la economía feminista. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños.
  • Portelli, S., & Lees, L. (2018). Eviction and Displacement from the Neighbourhood of Douar Wasti in Casablanca, Morocco. International Journal or Urban and Regional Research, The Urban Now, 1-4. https://www.ijurr.org/news/eviction-and-displacement-from-the-neighbourhood-of-douar-wasti-in-casablanca-morocco/
  • Rachid, A. (2020). Morocco’s Plastic Plague: A formal system… with informal connections. En Khouri, C. (Ed.) Plastic Atlas. Facts and figures about the world of synthetic polymers, 56-57. Berlín: Heinrich Böll Foundation. https://ps.boell.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/FINAL_Plastic%20Atlas%202020%20-%20English%20-%20DEC.pdf
  • Rip, A., & Voß, J.P. (2013). Umbrella terms as mediators in the governance of emerging science and technology. Science, technology & innovation studies, STI studies, (online), 9 (2), 39-59. https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/items/57e11ef5-9a3c-432a-9819-85368ba64a10
  • Raveendran, G. & Vanek, J. (2020). Informal Workers in India: A Statistical Profile. Wiego Statistical Brief, 24. https://www.wiego.org/sites/default/files/publications/file/WIEGO_Statistical_Brief_N24_India.pdf
  • Rochman, C. M., Browne, M. A., Halpern, B. S., Hentschel, B. T., Hoh, E., Karapanagioti, H. K., Rios-Mendoza,L. R, Hideshige, S. T., & Thompson, R. C. (2013). Classify plastic waste as hazardous. Nature, 494(7436), 169-171. https://doi.org/10.1038/494169a
  • Schröder, P., & Barrie, J. (2022). Is going circular just? Environmental justice and just transition-key elements for an inclusive circular economy. Field Actions Science Reports. The Journal of Field Actions, Special Issue 24, 20-25. http://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/6864
  • Suárez-Eiroa, B., Fernández, E., & Méndez, G. (2021). Integration of the circular economy paradigm under the just and safe operating space narrative: Twelve operational principles based on circularity, sustainability and resilience. Journal of Cleaner Production, 322, 129071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129071
  • Wilson, D. C., Velis, C., & Cheeseman, C. (2006). Role of informal sector recycling in waste management in developing countries. Habitat International, 30(4), 797–808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2005.09.005
  • Zwiers, J., Jaeger-Erben, M., & Hofmann, F. (2020). Circular literacy. A knowledge-based approach to the circular economy. Culture and Organization, 26(2), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759551.2019.1709065