Analysing the Socio-Economic Conditions of Waste Pickers in Uttar Pradesh

Waste pickers pick up reusable and recyclable waste from roadsides, dustbins, and landfills and sell it to local scrap dealers to earn money to fulfil their daily needs. Waste pickers do this in very unhygienic and hazardous conditions. This study examines the socio-economic status of waste pickers working in Ghaziabad using the Kuppuswamy SES (2020) scale. For this, 200 waste pickers, including male and female respondents, participated in this study. IBM SPSS software was used to code and analyse the data. Correlation matrix and regression were used for analysis. The research found that although waste pickers are crucial to society, their socio-economic situation is among the lowest. 51% of waste pickers are from the lower middle class, and 42% are from the upper lower class. These waste pickers of our study are underprivileged, illiterate, and live in poor conditions. For a sustainable and decent living, they need the government to satisfy some of their needs, including free medical services, access to clean, fresh water, social safety, and training for alternative employment.