You have seen those big recycling trolleys (usually flimsy and handmade) being hauled along the side of the road or down the middle of the road, you have seen them going through your wheelie bins of waste taking what can be reusable, recyclable and repairable.
For some of us, rubbish is something that is out-of-sight, out out-of-mind. We rarely think of what happens after rubbish is collected from outside our homes.
The truth is, most of the waste we throw into rubbish bins end up being recycled. It is through these waste pickers that recycling is made easy. These are people who are willing to dig through people’s waste to take out what is recyclable.
Millions of people worldwide make a living collecting, sorting, recycling, and selling materials that someone else has thrown away. For many individuals who seek employment, waste has become their source of income.
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There are two types of waste collectors, those who pick out valuable waste from bins on garbage-collecting days and those who pick out waste from landfills sites, whichever way it is done, it is considered a dirty job.
Hard labour, working with waste is not an easy job. In addition to low, unstable incomes and poor working conditions, waste pickers are often outcast from society.
We should be thankful because this is one of the segments of the informal sector that play a visible role in the economy.
There is still not enough recognition for waste pickers, particularly in South Africa, we need to recognise that they are there and are one of the gears that make our informal economy turn.
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Waste economy has enormous potential to create employment and generate entrepreneurial opportunities for thousands of unemployed people in our communities.
This all forms part of our plan to ensure that all development corridors within the country grow in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and promotes the creation of livable cities.
With recycling, everything can be used to its maximum potential. Nothing is wasted. Such cost-effective practices do not only save us economically but the environment and our resources too.
