The recicladores (recyclers) are groups of people that go around the city sifting through trash to collect plastic, metal and other recyclable materials to bring to recycling plants and businesses where they can be repurposed. Each day, Bogotá's 21,000 recicladores collect over 1,200 tons of waste that would normally end up in the city's landfill.
Even though this isn't glamorous work, these people are incredibly important. The recyclers are essential to the current recycling system in Bogotá, because they ensure enough recyclables come in to keep the recycling industry profitable(making money). If money was no longer being made from recycling, the practice wouldn't be able to continue. In developing countries, when too much waste is being generated, it is often burned in incinerators. This is very bad for the air quality, because when recyclables, like plastic, are burned, cancer causing chemicals are released into the air. Furthermore, this waste also can end up in natural habitats and in the water supply, so it's important to process it safely.
