Towards inclusive waste management: participatory video as a communication tool

This paper describes the outcomes of a participatory video (PV) project with recycling cooperatives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil between 2008 and 2012. Through a participatory action research approach, four PVs were co-produced and a collaborative research design was developed with participants to use the videos as a communication tool for enhancing dialogue and promoting inclusive and integrated approaches to waste management with policy makers. The catadore/as (‘recyclers’) involved are all participants of the Participatory Sustainable Waste Management (PSWM) project, a six-year partnership programme between the University of Victoria, the University of São Paulo, over 30 recycling cooperatives, municipal governments and various non-governmental organisations in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. This paper explores the methodological and theoretical contributions of using PV for enhancing the representation of catadore/as and the potential for shifting power dynamics in spaces of public policy. It also points to the growing organisation (and movement) of recycling cooperatives and associations as instrumental in improving the livelihoods of recyclers and crucial to expanding models of PSWM. The key findings highlight: the importance of building strong partnerships between the government and the recyclers; the necessary expansion of environmental education programmes valuing the principles of PSWM; and the need for adequate public policies to support these initiatives. The paper also draws attention to the relationship of power and knowledge that emerged through this process and reflects on the changing nature of citizen engagement in policy processes.