Overview

• The city government has halted daily transport subsidies for about 3,100 urban waste pickers employed by four cooperatives tied to social leader Juan Grabois.
• The move follows long-standing concerns over unequal benefits in a system originally established after Argentina’s 2001 crisis and formalized in 2007.
• Officials will reinforce collection routes and expand operational capacity at Green Centers to modernize the recycling network.
• Since early 2025, all 6,000 recuperadores in the formal system have received direct payments via Banco Ciudad, eliminating cooperative intermediaries.
• A biometric attendance system introduced at recycling sites has driven a 45 percent increase in deductions for unjustified absences during its first month.