Public respect for waste workers fades after pandemic, new research finds

Public attitudes toward refuse collectors, road sweepers and other waste workers have declined sharply since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research co-authored by Dr Izabela Delabre from Birkbeck’s School of Social Sciences. 

During lockdown, these workers were widely praised as essential to public health, with many receiving gestures of gratitude such as applause and words of thanks. However, once restrictions were lifted, the same workers reported a return to being treated as “lazy” or “incompetent” by members of the public.

The study, published in the journal Sociology, was conducted by researchers from the Universities of Sussex, East Anglia, Brunel, Leicester and Birkbeck. They interviewed 42 council refuse collectors, road sweepers, litter pickers and graffiti removers in London and the Southeast during 2020 and 2021.

Interviewed participants described the pride they took in their work during the pandemic, managing increased volumes of waste and new forms of litter such as discarded face masks and gloves. Many said they felt a sense of civic duty in keeping streets clean at a time of national crisis. They also noted the increased appreciation they saw during this period of time. However, the same workers reported that the goodwill faded once the pandemic passed. Several described experiencing verbal abuse and a return to social stigma. 

The researchers found that while the pandemic briefly challenged social hierarchies, it did not permanently alter the low status often attached to manual and public service work.

Dr Delabre commented: “This research comes at a time when, on a national level, refuse collectors are not getting the recognition they deserve for the important work they undertake, as demonstrated in current industrial disputes.”

Professor Natalia Slutskaya lead author of the research also commented: The pandemic offered a rare chance to see whether the status of essential work could shift when its social value became more visible. Our interviews with waste workers across London and the Southeast showed that, while many briefly felt appreciated, most believed their long-term status remained unchanged. The crisis also laid bare deepening social and class divisions, leaving many disillusioned about the prospect of a more solidaristic society.”