Media Narratives on Another Aspect of Poverty's Consequences; Over 7,000 Waste Pickers Operate in the Capital

An Iranian newspaper has reported on the issue of waste picking in the capital, stating that over 7,000 waste pickers are active with an annual turnover of $3.5 billion in waste management. The newspaper "Donya-e-Eqtesad" likened waste picking to the "Squid Game" series, noting that these waste pickers must scour the trash bins in every neighborhood every morning to satisfy the "waste lords." Abouali Golzari, a waste management specialist, told "Donya-e-Eqtesad" that the financial turnover of these lords sometimes reaches $3.5 billion annually, according to the statistics from the Waste Recycling Union. Golzari emphasized that if we consider dry waste from urban, industrial, and construction sources together, the financial turnover of this trade could reach "tens of billions of dollars" annually. He believes there are 7,000 waste pickers in Tehran and 25,000 across the country, with the reporting newspaper stressing that "waste pickers are the last links in the waste mafia." A noteworthy point that highlights the main factor behind the formation of the "waste mafia" in Tehran is the experts' assertion that if Iran were to completely separate waste like Japan, it could create $5 to $10 billion in added value annually and generate healthy jobs for 500,000 to one million people, rather than waste picking. This topic was also addressed by the reporter in "Donya-e-Eqtesad." Reports indicate that there is neither a will to optimally utilize this opportunity nor a determination to confront the "waste mafia." Consequently, not only is a potential profit of up to $10 billion not realized, but according to "Donya-e-Eqtesad," the Environmental Organization has estimated that "mismanagement of waste causes 44 trillion tomans in damage to the country's economy." Some experts believe that one of the main reasons for the activity of 25,000 waste pickers is the poor economic conditions of households and the presence of "illegal immigrants." These experts claim that illegal immigrants resort to waste picking to secure shelter, while Iranian citizens do so to help meet the minimum living needs of their families. "Donya-e-Eqtesad" quotes a specialist stating that the presence of 90% illegal immigrants among waste pickers is a significant point. Waste picking is an activity rooted in poverty and undermines human dignity. A citizen's account of two children waste picking in Tehran highlights the issue, as does the contradiction in statistics regarding the number of "working children," which ranges from 120,000 to 12,000, indicating an increase in street children in Iran. Experts have described the reported 15% of working children in Iran as "minimal."