Disposable Communities? Living and Working in the World’s Largest Trash Dumps
An Indian worker carries a bag of recyclable materials to sell from the 70 acre Ghazipur Landfill Site on February 18, 2010 in east Delhi, India. The estimated number of rag-pickers in Delhi is believed to be the range of 80,000 to 100,000.
It may not be treasure per se, it is still a steady income.
In an effort to eke out a days wage, workers in many parts of the world collect and sort the refuse of others. Many of these workers are women and children.
The World Bank estimates that 1 percent of the urban population in developing countries earns a living through this work.
These workers play a valuable role in many cash-strapped nations, serving as a cheap means of recycling.
But working conditions are hazardous, and the dumping of medical waste poses an enormous threat to human health.
Here are images of people who make their living in some of the largest dumps in the world.
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