When setting up an EPR system, it is critical to reconsider the integration of collectors into the waste management system. As key players, they are actively contributing to decreasing the amount of waste which winds up in the environment, and by doing so, reducing the financial burden for municipalities. Nevertheless, they are not officially recognized by public authorities, an issue which has been identified as a major bottleneck for the Informal Waste Workers (IWWs) in accessing social services. This informal workforce, most of which are women, is vulnerable to waste price fluctuations, land occupation issues, health injuries and suffers from social stigma. The “Issue Brief: Inclusion of Informal Waste Workers (IWWs) in the transition to sustainable waste management” was jointly developed by UNDP Vietnam and “Rethinking Plastics” based on projects implemented and a joint workshop in April 2022 on “Lessons Learned from Pilot Projects Working with Women Informal Waste Workers in Vietnam”. Drawings on the lessons learned from pilot projects and findings from the workshop in Quy Nhon, this brief offers recommendations for provincial and central policymakers to strengthen the livelihoods of informal waste workers and support their inclusion in evolving waste management systems.