Putting Waste to Work in a Circular Economy: Creating Good Jobs for Youth in the Waste Sector

This Note is part of the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) Knowledge Brief series that focuses on integrating a youth employment dimension and identifying opportunities in emerging sectors. Building upon S4YE’s Discussion Note on the Circular Economy, which aims to integrate the jobs agenda within the environment agenda, and the World Bank publication, "What a Waste 2.0”, this note focuses specifically on the waste sector. It emphasizes that the waste sector jobs agenda can lead to a triple win: creating employment opportunities, contributing to environmental protection, and improving public health. With a focus on the role of youth, the Note provides a global overview of waste generation and management and maps key actors along the waste value chain. It analyzes recent trends in the quantity and quality of jobs in the sector and discusses opportunities for job creation and improvements to working conditions with examples of policies and initiatives from diverse contexts.