Thousands of waste pickers flooded Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar with plastic bottles in a dramatic protest demanding fair wages and better working conditions. Amid a 50% crash in PET plastic prices and fears of job losses to private contractors, recyclers called out government corruption and exploitation. Organised by the National Association of Recyclers of Colombia, the demonstration highlighted the critical role of 75,000 recyclers in managing the city’s waste — and their fight for dignity, justice, and fair pay.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
