Whether understanding of the plight of bin pickers or tired of the mess that some tend to leave behind on pavements, recycling has been placed on the table as a solution that will benefit both reclaimers and residents.
Regenize, a recycling collection service, asks for the general public to support waste pickers on their website. It describes waste pickers as people who “earn their living through scavenging from the disposed goods, waste and general garbage produced by formal dwellings”.
It also states that bin pickers are at the forefront of driving the recycling rate in South Africa to 7,5%. The problem, the service says, is how they are recovering the waste – scavenging through refuse bins and landfills.
According to Regenize, not only are they exposed to disease and illnesses, waste pickers experience theft, harassment, assault and at times unfair remuneration for their hard work.
“By recycling, we can create an ecosystem where waste pickers are supported by means of access to household recyclable waste at source,” reads its website.
A memorandum dated 25 August 2021, and signed by Solid Waste Management director Rustim Keraan, also underscores the role waste pickers play in diverting waste from landfill by selling the recyclables to buyback centres in Cape Town.
According to the memorandum, waste pickers have been estimated to save municipalities approximately R700 million per year in collection and disposal costs.
Rise in concerns
The City has stated that the two-year National State of Disaster and related economic impact has led to “unmatched levels” of homelessness in the city.
And as homelessness has increased, so has the number of people who pick bins.
Shirley Adlum, manager of the Rondebosch Community Improvement District, says the homeless issue has definitely increased due to the Covid-related lockdown.
“Bin-picking on rubbish collection days has become a significant challenge in the RCID area,” says Adlum.
She adds residents have been both understanding of the hardships faced by the homeless as well as expressing their concerns regarding litter and neighbourhood security. In response, RCID has discussed solutions as to how the problem can be alleviated.
“For example, that the RCID Hub alerts the residents when the Solid Waste truck arrives in their area, so those residents who are at home only put their bins out when the truck is on its way, thus cutting down on both litter and loitering,” says Adlum.
Jenni Rowe, manager of Harfield Village Community Improvement District (HVCID) says people are desperate and looking for anything that they can find to ease their situation.
“Unfortunately, there are also people looking for opportunities to steal and break in to cars on bin days.”
Rowe, who has practiced recycling in her own personal capacity since the early 2000s, says HVCID has encouraged recycling since she became the manager.
“Recycling is the way forward, but it may take a bit of effort to set up. In our newsletters, we encourage residents to keep going.”
Taking the initiative
The Har-Lyn Neighbourhood Watch (HNW) launched its Sharps Bin initiative in May. At present there are two receptacles – one at Jess Coffee Shop, opposite Clareinch Post Office in Imam Haron Road and the other at the Seeff offices in Belvedere Square – where residents can dispose of sharp implements.
Dereck Bluck, chair of HNW, says for some time now, the watch has found street people being in possession of various potentially dangerous weapons, such as broken knives, scissors, blades and tools. When asked where they got them from, he says they invariably answered that they found them discarded in a council black bin.
“Harlyn NW has also found broken spades, axes, pickaxes, pangas, metal saws, broken saw blades and various old or broken tools such as screwdrivers, hammers, pliers and files,” says Bluck.
“Not only are many of the items dangerous weapons, they could also potentially be used as house breaking tools.”
He adds that HNW fully supports recycling of waste and intends to push for recycling in its area.
Making a difference
According to a national waste information baseline report published by the National Department of Environmental Affairs in 2012, 90% of an estimated 59 million tonnes of general waste produced in South Africa in 2011 ended up in landfills, while only 10% was recycled.
Claremont resident Penny Owens is trying to push this percentage up by getting others to recycle. On a local safety and security WhatsApp group she regularly reminds residents to recycle as much as possible. She says the message seems to have gotten through to a number of residents as she sees more recycling bags out, ready for collection, every week.
“The amount of plastic and cardboard packaging we throw away is appalling,” says Owens.
“This shouldn’t land up in landfills, but rather be recycled to make useful items.”
To all those who may be put off recycling because they think it’s complicated or a schlep, she says it really isn’t.
“All household waste can be divided into two categories – perishable and non-perishable. All vegetable and fruit peels can be put into a compost bin (the City gives them to homeowners who want them), all leftover meat and bones should be placed in a packet in the freezer until bin day. This stops flies and maggots in the heat of summer.
“All clean plastic, tin, cardboard, glass and paper can be recycled – they do not need to be separated but do need to be clean.”
She explains there are so many public (City Of Cape Town Recycling Drop-off Facility in Wynberg) and private recycling depots (Constantia Village Recycling, Oasis Recycling Depot, Rondebosch Boys High School recycling facility) as well as glass banks (Greenwood Road, Claremont) out there as well as a number of companies that will collect recyclables from people’s homes at a nominal monthly fee.
Owens says there is no excuse for households with one or two occupants not to recycle. “For example, my husband and I recycle all recyclables. Once every few weeks a load is taken to the recycling section of the municipal dump in Rosmead Avenue.
“Some weeks, one lonely little shopping bag goes into the bin. Other weeks we do not even put out a bin as we have no waste.”
She encourages families with young children to help them adopt a responsible habit of recycling.
“Baby steps. We can all do more.”
