How informal recycling provides a lifeline for waste pickers

THE high unemployment rate, coupled with limited formal sector opportunities, has pushed many people, such as Thabiso Leburu* (not his real name), into informal recycling as a means of survival.

- MANYANE MANYANE

Leburu, a former ArcelorMittal employee, said this was an opportunity to generate income and feed his family after his contract ended in 2010.

Leburu and other recyclers camp at a dumping site near the Boipatong landfill site, in the Vaal, where they attend to every vehicle dropping waste.

He said this is their daily routine.

They recycle wood, plastics, cans, and bottles.

This informal sector, often referred to as “survivalist entrepreneurs”, plays a crucial role in waste management and contributes to the livelihoods of thousands.

The Department of Environmental Affairs’ report on the determination of the extent and role of waste picking estimates that there are approximately 62 147 reclaimers in South Africa.

According to the case study by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri), the sector recovers an estimated 80% to 90% of paper and packaging materials on an annual basis.

Diverting these recyclables saves municipalities R300 million to R750m annually.