5. Discussion
A significant portion of the world’s poor urban populations depend on the recycling sector for their livelihoods. As urbanis- ation and the subsequent generation of waste continue to rise, coupled with rising rates of poverty and economic uncertainty, there is an urgent need to recognise the assets, socio-economic and environmental benefits of working with this sector, and improving their working conditions.
Few governments in Brazil – or globally – have embraced inclusive waste management models and recognised the social and economic benefits in working with recycling cooperatives. Support is most urgently needed in infrastructure and remu- neration for the recyclers. In order to achieve these goals, strategic planning of municipal solid waste management needs to document, understand and build on existing informal and cooperative recycling structures. Developing good com- munication and governance practices with this sector is key to their success. More importantly, co-creation of adequate policy for integrated waste management must be in place. This entails moving across ‘institutional and knowledge terrains’ (Eversole, 2010) and creating spaces for communities and organisations to engage in policy. This timely shift is necessary for participatory democracy to exist.
As demonstrated in this paper, PV is only one of the elements involved in enabling spaces for deliberative democracy. It is a tool that can help shift perceptions, give voice, and embrace diverse knowledge and representation. This form of participa- tory collaboration challenges the typical consultation-style approaches and can have immediate and long-lasting impacts in contributing to more profound shifts in governance.