Workshop: Tools for Inclusion of Informal Recycling Sector in Global South

Speakers from Leeds' School of Civil Engineering and institutions in Brazil delivered a workshop themed on waste management and recycling services in the Global South, at Weetwood Hall in Leeds.

The workshop presented the results of recent and on-going studies around the theme of waste management and recycling services carried out by the informal sector in the Global South, and relevance to the circular economy, and is supported by the British Council Newton Fund Institutional Skills Professional Development Programme.

The event showcased the portfolio of innovative decision support tools produced by the resource recovery research group of Dr Costas Velis, and also included keynote talks from esteemed Brazilian researchers: D.Sc Jacqueline Rutkowski of the Instituto Sustentar, and Dr Emilia Rutkowski of the University of Campinas, São Paulo, who have worked extensively on developing understandings of waste picker social technologies.

Additionally, it included a panel discussion about the role of the circular economy in developing countries, with participation from renowned experts: Professor Gary Dymski, Co-Director of Cities Theme, University of Leeds; Professor David C Wilson of Imperial College London; and Dr Anne Scheinberg, independent consultant.

The workshop was hosted by the School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, as part of the Circular Economy & Resource Recovery Research Network, under the auspices of the Cities Strategic Research Theme.