Did you know that South Africa has more than 60 000 waste pickers who play a substantial role in the country’s waste management sector at no cost to the government or taxpayer?
This includes Africa’s richest square mile, Sandton, and the surrounding areas.
According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, these waste pickers collect between 80% and 90% of the country’s post-consumer plastic and paper packaging, this amounts to a 57% collection rate – among the highest in the world.
In an effort to improve the lives and efficiency of a handful of these waste pickers in the Sandton, Fourways and Randburg areas, comparison site Hippo.co.za launched a partnership with Gauteng-based waste pickers’ organisation Urban Surfer.
Announced at Innesfree Park in Sandton on November 4, the partnership saw 50 of the community’s waste pickers receive trolleys, collection bags and gear to help them gather recycled waste in the community.
According to Hippo.co.za CEO Bradely du Chenne, this partnership is not only about improving the efficiency of waste reclaimers but it is about changing the narrative all together.
“The waste and recycling sectors have been growing at an average annual rate of 23% over the past few years…yet their [waste pickers] living and working conditions do not reflect the value they quietly bring to our economy, and waste pickers do not receive the respect or remuneration they deserve.”
Urban Surfer’s John Kullmann added that the unique work that waste reclaimers did could not be replaced by machines, so it was important to recognise and invest in them as it would benefit the community, even the likes of Sandton, in the long run.
According to AfriForum, the country’s landfills are only expected to last another five years, ‘so the need for waste pickers is there, they just need to be prioritised,’ Kullmann told Sandton Chronicle.
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