Carteneros - Rubbish Collectors.

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city with european architecture and cobbled streets . Many people seem prosperous. Behind this facade, however, there are the poor. They live on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in slums. Over 30% of the population in Argentina are below the poverty line. This has improved greatly since the economic crisis in 2002, where everyday people lost their savings, jobs and some their homes. During this time over half the population were poor, so it is positive to see a change is occuring. Unemployment is still high. Some of the people in the city, in a desperate attempt to make money, are reduced to other means to survive.



The above picture is a 'Cartenero'. Everyday rubbish is dumped on the streets in Buenos Aires. Before the 'Bin Men' have a chance to collect it all up, these people rummage through it all, desperate to find cardboard, plastic and glass, in order to sell it for recycling. Often you see whole families sorting through it all, or sometimes, young children; alone.



It appears that the goverment rely on these people to recycle their rubbish. A charity called 'El Ceibo' have worked with the 'Carteneros' and some neighbourhoods to encourage people to separate the rubbish themselves, so all they have to do is collect it. If you are interested, have a look at their website, which has a short video, portraying these peoples' lives. Go to

Carteneros Video