Private companies often don't recycle, and the normal citizens aren't used to separating trash from recyclables. Therefore, the recicladores are single-handedly doing all of the city's recycling themselves. Besides diverting recyclables from landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this work also provides thousands of people with informal jobs, so they can make enough money to support their families.
In 2013, in a monumental (important) court case, these workers were finally recognized for the important work they do. Now, in Colombia, recicladores have the same rights as other workers. If they are registered in the city, they are paid bimonthly at trash-weighing centers for each ton of recyclables they collect. Bogotá's recicladores have become role models for informal recyclers around the world. Colombia's government now considers the recicladores a part of the country's waste management system.
