EcoWaste Coalition Commends DILG’s Directive to Integrate Informal Waste Sector into LGUs’ Waste Management Systems
(A long-overdue policy win for the informal waste sector)
27 February 2025, Quezon City. – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) just scored a major victory for waste workers with the issuance of Memorandum Circular 2025-012, a landmark policy recognizing the vital role of the informal waste sector (IWS) in driving zero waste resource management across the country.
In a statement, the environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition commended DILG for this progressive directive, which mandates local government units (LGUs) to formally integrate the IWS into their solid waste management programs. IWS refers to individuals, families, groups or small enterprises engaged in the recovery of waste materials either on a full-time or part-time basis for revenue generation. The policy aims to provide them with social protections, livelihood opportunities, and recognition as key partners in waste diversion and resource recovery efforts.
“The issuance of this Memorandum Circular by the DILG is a significant step forward in recognizing the vital role of the IWS in our country’s solid waste management system,” said Marlon Pareja, NGO Representative to the National Solid Waste Management Commission. “By integrating these workers into LGU-led programs, we are not only promoting environmental sustainability but also ensuring social justice for waste pickers and small recyclers who have long been contributing to waste diversion efforts. The EcoWaste Coalition and other zero waste advocates have long advocated for the recognition and protection of waste workers’ rights, and we see this directive as a crucial policy win for inclusive and participatory waste governance. We commend the DILG for this progressive action and urge all local governments to implement it with inclusivity and urgency.”
The DILG directive reiterates the responsibility of LGUs to ensure that all sectors of the community—including the IWS—are provided with social services and access to basic facilities. It also sets minimum guidelines for LGUs in developing programs that will improve the working conditions and economic stability of IWS workers. Additionally, the directive calls on national government agencies and other institutions to provide the necessary financial and technical assistance to LGUs in implementing this policy.
“This is a long-overdue recognition of the indispensable contributions of the IWS in the implementation of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, in reducing plastic pollution, and in upholding our human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition. “The issuance of this directive is very meaningful and timely as the International Waste Pickers’ Day and the Global Recycling Day will be observed soon on March 1 and 18. Now, the real work begins—LGUs must take action to ensure that this directive does not just remain on paper. Waste workers deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and legal recognition as essential partners in the country’s waste management system.”
The IWS welcomed the DILG directive, stressing its importance in securing their rights and livelihoods.
“This policy is a huge relief for us, as it finally acknowledges the hard work we’ve been doing for years,” said Charina Davin, Vice-President of the Samahan ng mga Mangangalakal sa Capulong. “We have been recovering and recycling materials long before waste management laws existed, yet we’ve remained invisible and unprotected. With this directive, we hope to finally gain the respect, support, and protection we deserve. We urge LGUs to act swiftly and work with us to ensure that we are not just recognized, but also provided with better working conditions, fair compensation, and access to social services.”
To recall, Republic Act No. 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, already underscores the role of IWS in waste recovery and mandates partnerships between LGUs, communities, and the informal waste sector. The DILG memorandum reinforces this by giving clear guidelines on how LGUs can institutionalize their engagement with the IWS, moving the country closer to a circular economy while promoting social equity.
The EcoWaste Coalition urged all LGUs to act swiftly in implementing this directive and ensure that waste pickers are provided with dignified working conditions, access to government support, and opportunities for economic empowerment. The group also called on waste-producing industries to recognize and support the informal waste sector in compliance with their extended producer responsibility obligations.
“We challenge LGUs to go beyond compliance and make this directive a reality for the waste pickers who have long been at the forefront of our waste management efforts,” the group said. “A just and sustainable waste management system cannot be achieved without the full inclusion and protection of the informal waste sector.”
The EcoWaste Coalition pledged to monitor the implementation of the directive and to work alongside waste workers, LGUs, and other stakeholders to ensure that the policy translates into real, on-the-ground benefits for the informal waste sector. (PR)
Link to the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2025-012:
https://www.dilg.gov.ph/PDF_File/issuances/memo_circulars/dilg-memocircular-2025224_97f7c8bc81.pdf
