Second-Hand Markets and Resale
The Kabadiwala and Informal Recycling
India's informal scrap collectors buy paper, metal and plastic from households and sell them into recycling markets.
A centuries-old resale economy.
Door to door
Scrap dealers buy newspaper, bottles, metal and old appliances by weight.
Chain
Materials pass through traders to processors and recyclers.
Formalisation
Startups have built apps and formal scrap-collection services.
Livelihoods
Millions of informal workers depend on this trade, often with poor conditions.
A weighing scale
A collector weighs old newspapers and pays cash on the spot.
Ignoring the informal sector's role in recycling
It handles a large share.
Key takeaways
- Kabadiwalas buy scrap.
- Materials flow to recyclers.
- Apps are formalising the trade.
- Workers face poor conditions.
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