This article aims to identify and comprehend the challenges and strengths behind public policies on integrating waste pickers (WPs) within waste management systems in Colombia and Brazil. In both, WPs started to come together and found organisations and external agents such as NGOs began to support organised groups of WPs. After 10 years of judicial court actions in Colombia, WPs organisations were finally recognised in legislation, while in Brazil, they were recognised in 2007 in one of the national policies through lobby. Today, there are almost 700 WPs organisations formalised in Colombia and 1700 in Brazil. Their public policies’ main achievements and challenges are exposed to supply knowledge to other countries interested in this theme. A Roadmap for the organisation and formalisation of WPs within waste management systems was created. This constitutes a source of information for policymakers in other emerging economies to address this in their territories.

Sustainable Development (SD) encompasses the enhancement of quality of life through social, economic, and environmental pillars. Biogas utilization from landfills (BUL) is a widely adopted technique in the United States and some European regions. However, myths persist regarding its implementation in Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as in certain low-and middle-income economies. This article aims to assess the electricity generation potential in Colombia's major cities and highlight the significant contribution of BUL in achieving public policies objectives for SD and climate change mitigation. The study underscores that Colombia undervalues the potential of BUL when formulating public policies, overlooking its substantial impact in fulfilling at least 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).