The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing for the inclusion of waste pickers (mangangalakal) in dumpsites and communal waste collection points into the expanded producer responsibility (EPR) system for plastic packaging waste. DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga explained that waste pickers, described as part of the informal waste sector in the Philippines, is essential in the country’s transitions toward circular economy. The informal waste includes waste pickers in dumpsites and communal waste collection points and Loyzaga said their integration into the expanded producer responsibility (EPR) system would further augment the currently limited collection services and partly of recycling” in the country. The EPR law serves as the environmental policy approach and practice that requires producers to be environmentally responsible throughout the life cycle of a product, especially its post-consumer or end-of-life stage. It aims to address the mismanagement of plastic waste and uphold circularity through maximizing the material value of plastics, thereby, unlocking their full potential to help boost parts of the Philippine economy. “Collection and sorting facilities from the informal sector may be transformed into formal activities and establishments. These can be duly registered and supported by the EPR system,” said Loyzaga. “The informal sector can also be integrated as business partners, such as NGO-supported microenterprises, franchises of formal waste management companies, operating local collection centers, and forming cooperatives and collectives. This social inclusion can be improved to develop alternative livelihoods and diversified livelihoods for our informal community,” she added. Waste pickers are usually seen along the streets, waste management system of business establishments and in dump sites. They collect iron and plastic waste which they later sell. On the part of the DENR, Loyzaga said it has put focus on upcycling as it envisions that this will enable public and private investments in waste recovery, reuse, recycling as well as manufacturing and production using secondary raw materials. “Supporting the informal sector and establishing the right infrastructure were among the critical factors identified in order to accelerate the country’s transition to circular economy and implement a successful EPR policy,” she said.