Reclaimers: An integral part of our communities
RANDPARK – The RRVA discussed the importance of 'reclaimers' in the community and to pilot a scheme for separation at source for recyclable materials.
The Randpark Ridge Village Association invited Dr Melanie Samson of the Wits University Department of Human Geography and members of the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) to Randpark Primary School on 9 October to speak to them about the importance of reclaimers (waste recyclers) in the community and to pilot a scheme for separation at source for recyclable materials.
Similar projects have already started to take place in Brixton and Auckland Park.
Samson is a human geographer who analyses space and power in the inner workings of the city and has been working with reclaimers across Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and has conducted her research with reclaimers in Johannesburg for the past decade.
“My research looks at the way reclaimers have been dispossessed. Recently we have seen municipalities trying to include reclaimers, and we have conducted research around this,” she said.
Through complex research and extended workshops with all key stakeholders, over the past three years, Samson has led the Department of Environmental Affairs process to develop a national guideline for municipalities, residents, industry and reclaimers to work together.
Chairperson of the association Rod Rankine said, “The community needs to understand this highly valuable service that these reclaimers bring to our neighbourhoods. Municipalities are doing hardly anything to help these recyclers to formalise. The reclaimers are putting to use idle hands to not only work for a living but service the environment and industry at the same time.”
ARO started only three years ago as a democratic movement to organise hundreds of reclaimers throughout the city.
Samson said, “They have been very vocal in the national process to develop the guideline and said that they did not want to wait for municipalities to organise, so they have started to approach residents associations to trial their recycling systems.”
Luyanda Hlatshwayo of ARO said, “In the work that we do, saving the environment is simply a by-product. We work hard to put food on our tables and send our children to school. People do not understand the importance of the work that we do, and we are proud of our work.
Hlatshwayo hoped that his industry could be regulated properly.
He said, “Sometimes we make enough money to get by and other times we don’t. This is because we work with private purchasers who set their prices for the recyclable goods that we collect. For example, the price of a kilogram of PET [polyethylene terephthalate] plastic may be R5 one week, and R2.50 the next.
“Our buyers also argue that as we gather all these recyclable materials at no cost, their purchase price is up to how they feel on the day.”
Hlatshwayo wished all stakeholders including reclaimers, residents, government and industry could form an inclusive system.
“If you look at the current statistics, reclaimers are doing between 80 to 90 per cent of recycling work, which is with no funds and no support. We are subsiding not only the city and residents but the entire system of manufacturing packaging of other materials from recycled goods.”
Rankine added, “Presentations like this from experts are an opportunity to unite and build the community. We can read important things online or in the media, but there is nothing better than having an expert in their field coming to speak about topics that are relevant to our community. We have about four or five of these meetings once a year and they truly benefit our community.”
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