WASTE PICKERS

ONE man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Those words ring true in the lives of so many people in and around Cape Town.

- BY MARSHA DEAN

Take Raymond Blankenberg and his ‘vennoot’ Charlotte from Delft for example.

For your average Joe, bin day is just a regular weekly routine to get rid of all the gemors in and around your house. But for them it’s is an opportunity “om ietsie op die tafel te sit”.

The two live in the same street in Roosendal, Delft, but say they have been skarreling together every day for a number of years already.

While on one of their missions, the Daily Voice caught up with them to find out exactly what it is that they are doing on a daily basis and how they go about their business.

So enjoy ‘spending a day in the life of’ waste picker Raymond Blankenberg, 59, and his getuie Charlotte.

Routine

Raymond knows the early bird catches the worm and tells the Daily Voice of his daily routine: “We need to start our day at 4am or else we will be late.

“Ek loop baie ver, from Bellville to Pelican Park to Blackheath and even Brackenfell. I collect everything from mixed plastics to cans, cardboards, paper, anything that the scrapyard will take.