Bold reality check: the global recycling sector is expanding, but workers’ rights and safe, formal employment must keep pace. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released its first set of global guidelines to improve labor conditions across recycling value chains. This framework provides governments, employers, and workers with concrete steps to manage growing waste worldwide and strengthen circular economy systems. The guidelines emphasize expanding decent work, upholding labor rights, and formalizing informal recycling activities that remain common in many regions.
James Towers, Vice Chairperson of the Workers’ Group at the ILO, describes the guidelines as a structured tool for labor organizations to push for better working conditions across the entire recycling industry. He notes that a just transition is essential, ensuring that expanding recycling capacity does not rely on unprotected informal labor but includes protections for all workers involved.
The guidelines were finalized after a tripartite expert meeting in Geneva in May 2025. Drawing on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and existing Conventions, Recommendations, Protocols, and Declarations, they address high-risk and informal sectors. The framework organizes responsibilities for governments, employers, and workers across four pillars: productive and decent employment; rights at work; social protection; and social dialogue. It also promotes formalizing recycling activities, skills development, anti-discrimination measures, elimination of forced and child labor, workplace safety, and universal social protection. The document urges governments and industry to build institutional capacity and strengthen dialogue so workers’ organizations can participate in decisions affecting value chains. Ann Coenen, Government Vice-Chairperson of the ILO, emphasizes that the guidelines can help minimize waste, foster circularity, and recognize the value of every job within the recycling chain.
The release arrives as several countries review regulatory foundations for circular economy transitions. Mexico, for instance, is considering a national circular economy law intended to standardize producer responsibility and recyclability criteria for packaging. This proposal, discussed for years, would replace a patchwork of state-level rules that complicate investment in recovery and sorting infrastructure. Francisco Ríos, Mars’ Corporate Affairs Director, argues that a federal law would provide the legal certainty needed to scale recycling systems and invest in cleaner technologies.
Waste volumes continue to rise. INEGI reports that Mexico's urban solid waste averaged about 108,146 metric tons per day in 2022. Industry participants warn that without clear regulation, collection and recycling rates will stay limited even as production grows. At the National Chemical Industry Association’s Twenty-Eighth Annual Forum, speakers noted domestic plastic production at 3.5 million tons in 2024, with 5.7 million tons imported and 1.5 million tons exported, underscoring the urgency for a cohesive national policy.
OECD projections suggest global plastic output could increase substantially in the coming decades, pressing the need to redesign materials and expand recovery infrastructure. Government officials regard plastics as a strategic component of Mexico’s industrial base. Mariela Vargas of the Ministry of Economy highlights that circularity requires coordination among government, industry, and consumers, with alignment across investment, innovation, environmental education, and public policy. Industry groups such as ANIPAC advocate for stronger waste-management plans to improve flexibility and efficiency. Raúl Mendoza, ANIPAC’s Director General, argues for prioritizing responsible plastics use over outright elimination, noting that poorly separated materials hinder material recovery and raise landfill demands.
Private-sector voices mirror these concerns. Dow Química estimates Mexico’s annual plastic production at around 7 million tons. Manuel Bárcenas, Dow Química’s Marketing Manager, points to the greatest mitigation potential in designing packaging to be recyclable and containing post-consumer content. While the price gap between virgin and recycled materials remains a hurdle, stronger regulation, collaborations, and sector-wide cooperation could scale circular practices.
In addition to policy and manufacturing changes, service providers working directly with recycling workers are piloting new collection systems. Companies seeking stronger ESG compliance are calling for clearer rules on extended producer responsibility to accelerate growth. Carlos Jara, founder of Soluciones Ecológicas México, notes that mandatory source separation for large waste generators and formal inclusion of grassroots recyclers could further expand scale.
Together, the ILO guidelines sit within a broader push by governments, companies, and recyclers to curb waste and advance circular models. By offering a global reference point, the guidelines aim to ensure that workers who keep recycling systems running enjoy safer, more formal, and more stable employment as value chains grow. Implementation could influence national legislation, corporate procurement policies, and investment decisions in waste infrastructure, shaping how labor rights are integrated into circular economy strategies.
