The other side of the mountain

Down from the mountains

The workforce of elderly women recycling what Vietnam throws away

Sixty-four-year-old Bể earns a living in Hanoi travelling door to door by bicycle and collecting recyclables. She’s part of an informal workforce of mostly elderly women across Vietnam who perform this difficult – and often stigmatised – yet essential task without formal labour protections. Over the years, she’s witnessed the country’s development through the objects that people throw away. As the........

© Aeon