Leader of Kenyan waste pickers: 'We are the backbone of recycling'

After a childhood on the dump, John Chweya wants to ensure rights are enshrined in UN plastic pollution treatyAs a boy John Chweya was one of many children who scrambled over the mountain of stinking waste at Kachok dump, using a magnet that he dangled over the rubbish to pull out metal scraps and earn a living.Over the years since, global companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestlé have increased plastic production by millions of metric tonnes, and plastic bottles have replaced metal as the source of income for those who pick through the garbage in Kisumu, the third-largest city in Kenya. Continue reading...