Operational Dynamics of Informal Reverse Logistics Among Waste Pickers in the District of San Miguelito
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56880/experior51.1Keywords:
informal recycling, reverse logistics, waste management, urban sustainability, circular economyAbstract
This study analyzes the empirical reverse logistics practices carried out by informal waste pickers in the District of San Miguelito, based on records obtained through direct observation. The research was grounded in theoretical approaches to reverse logistics, informal recycling, and urban sustainability, which provided the conceptual basis to contextualize the operational role of waste pickers within local waste management systems. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was adopted, using a descriptive, non-participant observational design to document the practices of 36 waste pickers across three areas of the district. The data were organized in an analytical Excel matrix and coded according to the stages of collection, sorting, transportation, and commercialization. The results show that collection is structured through semi-stable routes and rapid decisions based on visual criteria; sorting is carried out with notable empirical precision in improvised spaces; transportation relies on manual means that require high levels of physical effort; and commercialization is mediated by intermediaries who set variable prices without negotiation mechanisms. Overall, it is concluded that informal reverse logistics constitutes a functional operational system sustained by practical knowledge and adaptive strategies that allow the continuous flow of recyclable materials in the absence of formal infrastructure, highlighting the need to recognize waste pickers as key logistical actors in urban sustainability.
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