The recyclers . The Recyclers by Vincenzo Floramo Along the Thai-Burmese border, the town of Mae Sot has become a refuge for many Burmese immigrant families. Thousands of citizens of Myanmar (formerly Burma) cross the border to escape from one of the most cruel and unjust regimes that still exists in the world. Many have done so for economic reasons, or to escape the extreme conditions of poverty and forced labour imposed by the Burmese army. Others still are refugees of the ongoing conflict. According to government statistics, there are at least two million Burmese nationals working in Thailand; at least three quarters of them are illegal. Upon arrival in Thailand, many have very little contact with organized Burmese social groups that could assist them in finding suitable homes and work, be it from a lack of knowledge or a fear of doing so due to their illegal status. This severely limits their options and forces many people to live in a large rubbish dump just outside of Mae Sot. Despite the filthy and unhealthy conditions they have to endure, the rubbish dump offers the opportunity to earn a higher wage than they could receive in Burma. By collecting recyclable materials, people can make about 100 baht (2,50 euros) per day. At present, approximately fifty families are living in bamboo huts built on mountains of waste. Before the waste arrives at the dump, it has already passed through a double sorting process, which makes it difficult for these families to salvage resalable material. Some recyclables are collected within the city, but more importantly, most of the useful waste is sorted out in the private recycling plant located a few hundred metres from the dump, leaving little of use for this small community. Living and working at the plant, even without a contract, is considered a privilege. Once the residents of the dump collect anything useful, the material is often sold back to Thai shops in Mae Sot, or just over the border to Myawaddy, Burma. The main entrance to the rubbish dump of Mae Sot, Thailand. Two spinning wheels used to dry recycled washed plastic bags. Old Burmese woman collecting recyclables in the rubbish dump. Machinery in the Mae Sot's town recycling plant. Experienced worker at Mae Sot dump. He has been living and working there with his wife and three children for 4 years. A rare truck arrives at the dump with garbage that has not been sorted, meaning more recyclables can be collected and sold. People rush to be the first to search through this precious waste. Recycling plastic at the local plant. Each kg is sold to the dealers for 3 thai baht (0,06 euros). A mother feeds her child. In the rubbish dump, every family has a minimum of three children. Young boy having a "shower" at Mae Sot rubbish dump.  The water used to cook and wash is highly contaminated. Local people of the dump burn pieces of metal covered by plastic to recycle the steel. A Thai dealer comes to buy recycled plastic and aluminum from the Burmese migrants living at the dump. Thai dealers pay 1 thai bath (0,02 euros) per kg for the recycled plastic to the migrant workers living in the dump. Workers get a monthly salary of 2400 thai (60 euros) to work in the local recycling plant. The local recycling plant opens at 8 am and waste is sorted for 9 hours a day. The rest of the garbage already sorted by the local recycling plant arrives at the dump six to ten times a day. Burmese migrants in the dump search for recyclable material seven days a week. Burmese women collect garbage from the street bin in Mae Sot. This is the first selection on the big cycle of the garbage recycling process. All of our advertising is certified by Google and therefore may be viewed safely. Local villagers at the dump warm themselves at night by burning plastic. Children living in the dump study at night with a candlelight. Workers living in the dump are hired at night to collect the garbage around the town of Mae Sot. The second selection of usable material is made by the garbage men while collecting the city waste.