Politics of waste and place: Recyclers’ formalisation in Cartagena, Colombia

After a struggle over decades led by informal recyclers, Colombia was one of the first countries in Latin America to recognise legally their role in the country’s solid waste management system (SWMS). Since 2013, municipalities are forced to reconsider their SWMS and the city of Cartagena is currently in the process of integrating recyclers to its SWMS.

In this presentation, I seek to highlight how recyclers’ formalisation can be understood in relation to debates on urban space production and its related place-making practices, in particular the (re-)production of urban socio-spatial segregation. I will present my ‘in-progress’ research proposal by first, introducing the related theoretical debates. Then, I will introduce my research aim, objectives and research questions. Finally, I will give a short overview of my planned methodology. Above all, I would like to draw on the group’s experience to discuss my theoretical framework and the ‘problematisation’ of my thesis question.  

Le «Bouillon d'idées» est un séminaire proposé par le groupe de recherche «Développement, Sociétés, Environnements», dans lequel les chercheuses et les chercheurs sont invité·e·s à présenter une recherche en cours.

L'entrée est libre. N'hésitez pas à amener votre repas.