Urban waste management is a critical and complex field, particularly as cities grow and consumer patterns evolve. By 2050, it is estimated that global urban centers will generate 3.4 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually. This increase highlights the pressing need for effective waste management strategies. Yet, the process is mired in significant challenges. Urban waste management is not merely a technical endeavor but a contentious one, involving diverse stakeholders such as informal waste workers, policymakers, private companies, and NGOs. These elements bring to light a clash of practices and policies at both local and global levels, underscoring the lack of neutral ground in waste management strategies.

This Research Topic aims to deeply analyze urban waste management systems by focusing on the intersections of conflict and collaboration. It seeks to illuminate how power relations, spatial planning, and knowledge disparities impact waste workers and urban sustainability. The goal is dual: to unravel the multifaceted maps of how informal workers navigate through the intricacies of waste collection and recycling, and to scrutinize the power plays that define these sectors. This exploration is vital for crafting policies that are not only inclusive but that also ensure the durability of urban environments.

To thoroughly explore the layers of urban waste management, this Research Topic focuses on several pivotal areas:

• the dichotomy between grassroots waste collection and large-scale privatized systems

• the involvement and impact of NGOs in shaping waste governance frameworks

• the geography of waste processes and how they are influenced by urban planning and social dynamics

• the interplay between conventional knowledge systems and local waste management practices

• strategies for incorporating circular economy concepts within urban waste practices.

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Negotiating Waste, Claiming Space: Informal Labor, Global Policies, and the Struggle for Inclusion in Urban Waste Management