To "spot" and "point": managing waste pickers' access to landfill waste in the North-West Province

Abstract

Informal recycling has the potential to contribute to the generation and redistribution of income and hence poverty reduction. However, municipal waste management systems in South Africa do not appear to be ready to formally accommodate informal waste pickers; this has made their activities and waste-picking income vulnerable to the negative effects of policies and strategies. This paper described successful approaches followed on two landfill sites in the North-West Province of South Africa to facilitate the successful integration of informal waste pickers: the key elements in the success of the approach is controlled access to the landfill site, proper management of waste picking activities on the landfill site as well as cooperation, proper collection and support from local Buy Back Centres. Involving waste pickers themselves in policy planning is essential for long term success in informal recycling.