Solid waste recycling is an unresolved phenomenon in many Latin American cities. One activity that has emerged related to this situation is informal recycling. The purpose of this paper was to characterize, following the systemic perspective of HFE, the working conditions of a community of recyclers in the city of Medellín, Colombia. A questionnaire was developed and administered to 52 recyclers. The results indicated that a large part of this population works informally and in conditions of vulnerability, as reflected in (a) low income, (b) limited access to health services, (c) presence of diseases and musculoskeletal symptoms, (d) occurrence of accidents, and (e) few employability possibilities given the low level of educational attainment. It is expected that the stakeholders involved in the recycling process (e.g., companies, government, unions, and ministries) will develop policies to advance the formalization of this population, and will adopt the systemic HFE perspective to improve the recycling process and the safety, health, and well-being conditions of recyclers.