ILO Issues First Global Guidelines to Improve Work in Recycling

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has issued its first global guidelines to improve labor conditions across recycling chains, formalizing a framework that governments, employers, and workers can use as countries confront growing waste volumes and demands for stronger circular economy systems. The document outlines actions to expand decent work, strengthen labor rights, and formalize informal recycling activities that remain widespread in many regions.

James Towers, Vice Chairperson of the Workers’ Group, ILO, says the guidelines give labor organizations a structured instrument “to advocate for better conditions of work for all workers of the industry, making just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies a reality for them.” The reference to just transition reflects ongoing concerns that recycling expansion cannot rely on informal labor without basic protections.

The guidelines were finalized following a tripartite expert meeting held in Geneva in May 2025. They draw on the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and on Conventions, Recommendations, Protocols, and Declarations that apply to high-risk and informal sectors. The framework organizes government, employer, and worker responsibilities across four areas: productive and decent employment, rights at work, social protection, and social dialogue. It promotes the formalization of recycling activities, skills development, anti-discrimination measures, elimination of forced and child labor, workplace safety, and universal social protection. It also urges governments and industry to build institutional capacity and strengthen dialogue mechanisms so that workers’ organizations can participate in decisions affecting value chains. Ann Coenen, Government Vice-Chairperson, ILO, says the guidelines will help stakeholders “minimize waste, foster circularity, and recognize the value of every job in the recycling chain.”

The release comes as several countries evaluate regulatory foundations for circular economy transitions. Mexico is among them. Industry groups and policymakers continue to await congressional approval of a national circular economy law designed to standardize producer responsibility and recyclability criteria for packaging. The proposal, discussed for several years, would replace a patchwork of state-level rules that companies say complicate investment in recovery and sorting infrastructure.

The lack of a unified legal framework creates fragmented compliance requirements and logistical barriers, says Francisco Ríos, Corporate Affairs Director, Mars. He adds that a federal law could provide the legal certainty needed to scale recycling systems and invest in cleaner technologies.

The scale of the waste challenge continues to expand. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico collected an average of 108,146 metric tons of urban solid waste per day in 2022. Industry participants argue that without regulatory clarity, collection and recycling rates will remain limited despite rising production. At the National Chemical Industry Association’s Twenty-Eighth Annual Forum of the Plastic Resins Industry, speakers said that domestic production reached 3.5 million tons in 2024, with imports of 5.7 million tons and exports of 1.5 million tons, making the creation of a national policy an urgent priority.

OECD projects that global plastic output may grow substantially in the coming decades, adding pressure to redesign materials and expand recovery infrastructure, says Miguel Delgado, President, CIPRES.

Government officials say plastics remain a strategic part of Mexico’s industrial base. Mariela Vargas, Representative, Ministry of Economy, says circularity requires coordination between government, industry, and consumers, and called for alignment between investment, innovation, environmental education, and public policy. Industry associations including ANIPAC have also urged companies to strengthen waste-management plans to improve flexibility and efficiency. Raúl Mendoza, Director General, ANIPAC, says the focus should be on using plastics responsibly rather than eliminating them, arguing that improperly separated items limit the potential to recover valuable materials and reduce landfill demand.

Private-sector views reflect similar concerns. Dow Química estimates that Mexico generates about 7 million tons of plastic annually. Manuel Bárcenas, Marketing Manager, Dow Química, says the most significant mitigation potential lies in designing packaging to be recyclable and incorporate post-consumer content. The price gap between virgin and recycled materials continues to be a barrier, but stronger regulation, alliances, and sectorwide cooperation could scale circular practices, he adds.

Alongside policy reforms and manufacturing adjustments, service providers interacting directly with recycling workers are testing new collection systems. While companies want to strengthen ESG compliance, clearer rules on extended producer responsibility would accelerate growth, says  Carlos Jara, Founder, Soluciones Ecológicas México. Mandatory source separation for large waste generators and the formal inclusion of grassroots recyclers could further expand operational scale, he adds. 

The ILO’s guidelines enter this landscape as governments, companies, and recyclers respond to rising pressure to reduce waste and adopt circular models. By providing a global reference point, the guidelines aim to ensure that the workers who sustain recycling systems gain safer, more formal, and more stable working conditions as value chains expand. Their implementation could influence national legislation, corporate procurement policies, and investment decisions in waste infrastructure, shaping how countries integrate labor rights into circular economy strategies.