Waste pickers have become part of the South African landscape, physically they are visible either on the streets or on landfill sites, and economically they have become the sorting and collecting labour that moves our waste to better places than the bins. As a marginalised group they face obstacles: Unsafe working conditions, hostility from homeowners, and even violence. To combat these conditions and elevate their work various organisations have been formed to protect this now vital profession, one of the biggest is the South African Waste Pickers Association

Musa Chamane, a senior waste campaigner for groundWork, an organisation that fights against climate injustice in South Africa, says “When we look at the recycling sector, it would be a very different place than it is today if we did not have waste pickers. It is a very underappreciated job that has become integral for the health of our country.”

In 2007 groundWork tasked Musa with visiting landfill sites to see what the organisation could do to improve or help these sites, what Musa saw was that at every single landfill, there were waste pickers sorting the waste and making a living from this act.

Surveying the landfills in KwaZulu Natal led Musa to have direct talks with the waste pickers, on a particularly difficult day when waste pickers were chased off of a site by dogs and threatened with violence Musa asked them a simple question, “how can we help you, and what do you want?”. It was in this conversation that waste pickers said that they wanted to be treated as workers and have their rights protected.

“While groundWork partners with SAWPA, it is important to note that SAWPA is for and by waste pickers. It is led and directed by waste pickers and their needs,” adds Musa.

Workers’ rights for environmental justice

Before SAWPA’s collective bargaining power waste pickers were exposed to seriously harsh working conditions and exploitation. Musa explains, “Because most waste pickers were working as individuals when they took their product to market, companies and buyers would offer them ridiculous fees for the waste because there was no standard rate and no collective bargaining. As waste pickers became represented by SAWPA their earnings went up and often stabilised. They still work in landfills, a dangerous place, but now they do not have to worry about hiding or being forced off the property with violence they have their own space to work, and this has led to much higher safety standards on site.”

Since 2007 and the initial push in KZN SAWPA formalised itself in 2009 as a national organisation and they have made great strides. Part of what SAWPA does is, in Musa’s words, “give them a common identity, they are marginalised and by simply bringing them together it has a positive effect on their own vision of themselves and provides organised power that they do not have as individuals.” SAWPA aims to register waste pickers, giving them adequate workers’ rights and once registered SAWPA can defend their interests.

One of the ways in which SAWPA aids waste pickers is by fighting for the proper enforcement of extended producer responsibility laws (EPR). These EPR laws were put in place to ensure the producers rather than consumers are responsible for the life cycle of their products which entails the collection, sorting, and recycling of their products after they are used.

Products and packaging, like plastics, glass, and paper have EPR fees baked into the price of the product which is then used to guarantee the proper action of recycling. Since 2018, waste pickers have been integrated and included in this process through the Waste Picker Integration Guidelines which outline how municipalities, companies, producer responsibility organisations (PROs), and government can work with and include waste pickers in their recycling efforts and processes.

“It has not been smooth sailing though,” says Musa, “there have been multiple incidents of municipalities that ignore the role waste pickers play, which ultimately leads to more waste in the landfills and money taken out of the hands of waste pickers.”

Musa explains that some municipalities have displaced waste pickers by abusing, displacing and even killing them. This failure to integrate waste pickers and the violence towards them is a direct barrier to the growing circular economy and livelihoods. While municipalities claim that waste pickers are not allowed in their landfills, Section 51 (I) of the Waste Act of 2008 does allow for the salvaging of waste, but in an organised and agreed manner between the municipality and waste pickers.

“Some municipalities are just not willing to integrate, not even willing to talk, so the communication breakdown here has caused SAWPA some grief, despite its efforts to organise waste pickers properly,” says Musa.

Musa does clarify that it is not all municipalities, as some such as Metsimaholo in Free State, as well as Mpofana in KwaZulu Natal have embraced waste pickers and have created an enabling environment by supporting what they do.

From livelihood to environmental warriors

Many waste pickers start their journey as those looking to earn an income it is important for groundWork and SAWPA to stress the environmental aspect of their work to both the waste pickers themselves as well as the public. Once a year groundWork organises the Environmental Justice School hosted in KZN where different regions will send waste pickers to attend. This “school” educates waste pickers on their work, giving them both pride and understanding of the environment and how they impact it.

Musa explains “The school focuses on the entire circular economy and environmental justice side of this work. Attendees then take this knowledge back with them and share it with their fellow waste pickers”

The circular economy is growing in South Africa, and it is important for the government, private sector, and waste pickers to work together. Musa concludes by saying, “Waste pickers are people, it seems odd to clarify, but when I get up to go to the office, they get up to go to the landfill, it is their office. They are using their earnings to send their children to school, and pay for rent, they are as much a part of the economy as anyone else and because of SAWPA they are getting treated with more respect and their work can continue to contribute to the environmental health of South Africa.”