Human rights assessment of glass bottle reuse system for leading global drinks brand
Human Rights & Modern Slavery | read time: 3 min
In late 2024, GoodCorporation was commissioned to assess the human rights impacts associated with a glass bottle reuse system. The system, which was devised and operated by a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading drinks companies, facilitates the reuse of over 75% of the bottles produced. It relies on approximately 5,000 informal bottle-pickers and a small number of official resellers who collect, sort, pack up and transport the reconditioned bottles back to the parent company.
Project scope and challenges
GoodCorporation started with a risk-mapping exercise to identify the stakeholders most likely to be affected by actual or potential human rights harms. This directed the focus of the assessment towards bottle-pickers and resellers, the two stakeholder groups identified as most at-risk.
Bottle picking is an informal activity with no representative body, and pickers tend to operate discreetly, often during the night or early in the morning. This made identifying and engaging bottle-pickers challenging, especially without the support of intermediaries. Initial attempts to contact stakeholders through points of sale, NGOs, and community associations proved difficult, largely due to a limited awareness of bottle picking activities on the part of resellers and a general reluctance to engage.
In response, GoodCorporation adapted its approach, arranging to accompany resellers on collection rounds and engaging local residents informally in public spaces where they would naturally congregate. This led to significantly improved engagement with key stakeholders, with 120 stakeholders consulted directly, including bottle-pickers, resellers, NGO representatives, as well as public and private sector organisations.
Key findings
Bottle-pickers:
For the majority of those interviewed, bottle picking serves as a supplementary income; however, however, for 33% , it is a critical source of livelihood.
Health and safety risks are prevalent, including:
• Physical strain from transporting bottles over long distances and carrying heavy loads
• Risk of cuts and injuries during collection
• Bottle storage challenges, as pickers must accumulate over 1,200 bottles before resellers will collect them.
Resellers:
For resellers the health and safety concerns were different but included:
• Handling heavy loads, with each bag weighing around 32kg
• Daily handling of approximately six tonnes of bottles
• Crowded and hazardous work environments, often surrounded by large volumes of waste
The working conditions for resellers were also poor, characterised by excessive work hours (often more than 9 hours per day) and physically demanding tasks.
In addition, the system lacked any formal structure or traceability in financial transactions between resellers and pickers presenting further risks to the parent company.
Key considerations
With over 75% of glass bottles being reused, the system plays a significant role in local waste management. A sudden transition to an entirely new system would be both impractical and undesirable for most stakeholders. Moreover, most bottle pickers oppose formalisation. Due to their demographics, primarily elderly or those detached from the formal workforce, expecting full formalisation of pickers and their transactions in the short term is not feasible.
The GoodCorporation solution
By carefully identifying the risks and engaging meaningfully with affected stakeholders GoodCorporation was able to produce a set of prioritised recommendations that would improve conditions for bottle-pickers and resellers alike and mitigate the identified human rights risks.
Recommendations included:
• Strengthening and improving health and safety provisions, including bonus provisions for meeting health and safety targets
• Health and safety training for sellers and resellers
• Improving working environment and ensuring the removal of waste
• Formalising the transaction process through improved record keeping
• Introducing and communicating an easily accessible grievance mechanism
Client feedback
Our client found our recommendations both concrete and realistic and is now working to implement improvements based on this assessment.
By conducting meaningful stakeholder engagement in accordance with international best practice, GoodCorporation is able to identify and prioritise salient human rights risks while developing actionable recommendations that balance human rights protections with local economic realities.
Our human rights work is founded on the GoodCorporation Human rights Governance Framework, which draws on standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. This framework supports organisations in the development of robust governance and management systems, respecting labour and community rights, and embedding sustainable human rights practices.
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