Last week the Circular Electronics Initiative (CEI) released a groundbreaking report titled “Potential Income Streams for (e-)Waste Reclaimers in South Africa: Diversifying economic opportunities through Extended Producer Responsibility.” Authored by Susanne Yvonne Karcher from the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) and Robin S. Smith (WRFA), the publication outlines actionable and potentially feasible business models designed to secure safer, fairer livelihoods for the country’s informal waste sector currently involved in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WEEE recovery and collection activities.
The report provides a strategic roadmap for integrating e-waste reclaimers predominantly through funds generated by South Africa’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. The integration of Waste reclaimers, is a national priority in South Africa, with EPR regulations calling for them to be included into waste collection activities Six alternative income stream opportunities are presented which are categorised into three strategic clusters, namely: Alternative Economy, Value-added Services, and Organisational Optimisation. They are built as part of responding “Character Briefs” that evaluate each proposed strategy through a PESTEL based analysis and a SWOT–type evaluation. The opportunity models under discussion are further each described through a dedicated business canvas to illustrate critical financial, activity and data flows of the proposed models in a visual manner. The character brief format was chosen to create an initial blueprint which allows for further co-creation through workshops with the relevant stakeholders especially with the waste reclaimer organisations SAWPA and ARO. The anticipated workshops and inputs together with the publication have the objective to to stimulate actual industry (PRO, recyclers) led pilot project implementation. The report is merely the beginning and has been designed to inspire and be built upon.Highlights include:
The “Recycling Basket” Model: A one-stop-shop collection system where PROs fund a flat, standardized fee per kilogram for all materials, including low-value or problematic plastics eliminating the need for “cherry-picking” high-value items only. “Complete Collection” Premiums: Financial incentives paid to reclaimers who deliver whole electronic units instead of dismantled parts, effectively removing the economic motive for unsafe, open-air burning and hazardous dismantling practices.
PAYD (Pay-As-You-Decontaminate): A framework where trained members of reclaimer organizations are compensated via EPR fees for performing safe, Norms & Standards-compliant pre-processing and data destruction services.
EEE Maintenance & Component Harvesting: Training programs funded by PROs to transition subsistence collectors into skilled technicians capable of repairing appliances and harvesting functional components, aligning with national reuse targets. The suggested alternative income streams in the report also speak to the DFFE’s mandate to operationalize the National WEEE Policy by leveraging EPR fees to support the discussion and evaluation of the proposed income opportunities for South African WEEE reclaimers. The key objective going forward is to prove that social upliftment and environmental compliance are not mutually exclusive, but instead are economically interdependent .Call to Action: Join the Stakeholder Engagement Process
To move these concepts from paper to practice, the CEI is initiating a series of strategic workshops and pilot project planning sessions. We invite key stakeholders across the value chain to express interest in participating in the upcoming engagement phase. Who should respond:- Reclaimer and waste picker associations (e.g. ARO, SAWPA)
- Civil Society Organisations and community development NGOs
- Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) seeking evidence-based integration strategies.
- Government Departments (National, Provincial, and Local/SALGA) focused on waste policy and SMME development.
- Formal Recyclers & Buy-back Centres interested in building and securing compliant supply chains.
- Development Finance Institutions looking to support green jobs and circular economy infrastructure.
How to Participate:
A comprehensive stakeholder list will be drawn up to coordinate these engagements. To register your interest, receive any future correspondence related to the report, or nominate your organisation for any of the upcoming workshops/discussion forums please contact:- Susanne Y. Karcher
- Executive Director at African Circular Economy Network
- CEI Project Lead forSouth Africa
- susanne.karcher@acen.africa
- https://circular-electronics.org/project-countries/south-africa/
