Hiding in Plain Sight: A case for designing with informal waste collectors

This research explores the ethical implications of design interventions that support urban dwellers’ participation in informal waste collection and recycling in Sydney, Australia. Informal waste collection is one activity that contributes to what is known as the informal economy. This exists predominately in developing nations such as Brazil, India and Egypt, yet has also been identified in developed nations such as Australia. Informal waste collection provides the opportunity to address the challenges of the increasing economic disparity between privileged and disadvantaged communities as well as the acceleration of climate change. This research proposes to explore existing approaches in the informal economy that support the transition to climate conscious practices and inform public pedagogy surrounding novel responses to economic marginalisation. By doing so, the research counters stereotypical perceptions of individuals who experience entrenched disadvantage and poverty as lazy, dangerous and lacking autonomy. Within the framework of equality, defined by Jacques Rancière (1995) as a fundamental precursor to effective political action, the research contributes to new understandings of the ethical dimensions regarding formal and informal cooperation through co-design and participatory design in the 21^st century.