The number of informal waste pickers who collect garbage at municipal landfill sites and sell it for recycling is growing.

Typically seen as a nuisance, government has previously attempted to ban the practice of waste picking. However, government has now improved the National Environmental Management: Waste Bill. Once enacted, the bill will for the first time officially recognise informal recyclers in the law.

Friends of the Earth International (FoE) argues that waste pickers make important contributions to environmental sustainability by reducing the amount of waste in landfills and providing input to recycling.

FoE has in the past lobbied for improvements to the Waste Bill which they believe government was using to exclude waste pickers from earning a legitimate livelihood. They will continue to lobby to ensure that regulations are developed.