Analyzing the Tool of Empowerment to Improve the Health of Vancouver's Binning Community

Abstract

In the summer of 2007 a research project was conducted to analyze the socio-economic status and recycling habits of the dumpster diving community in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This research, carried out by the City of Vancouver, was considered when amending the municipal Solid Waste By-law to permit the locking of dumpsters and to evaluate its impact on "binners" who rely on informal recycling for their livelihood. Due to the strain of changing municipal by-laws as well as many other issues "binners" have adapted by establishing partnerships with businesses to facilitate the activity of resource recovery.

This project compared "binners" who have established partnerships with businesses (n=20) and those without (n=30) in order to examine each groups' perceived health. Dumpster divers were randomly surveyed at bottle depots using a face-to-face questionnaire and the results of this survey were interpreted with a chi square statistical analysis. The objective of this project was to examine business partnerships, as a tool of empowerment, and its relationship on the perceived health of Vancouver's "binning" community.

There was no statistically significant association (p = 0.4) between the perceived health of "binners" who have established partnerships and those without. However due to a small sample population and limited resources a more in depth assessment must be carried out before conclusions can be made. The lead investigator's observations suggest that empowerment can be successfully used as a tool to improve the health of "binners." The health hazards that these individuals encounter daily are infinite but dumpster divers with partnerships have an increased potential to avoid dangerous exposures.