After a successful waste management project that was led by the Makhanda community ended, a group of unemployed people continued to collect recyclable waste on the municipal landfill. These waste pickers work on the landfill year after year, even as other private enterprises with tendered contracts come and go. To help address some the challenges experienced by waste pickers, and to ensure their inclusion in decision-making regarding waste management and recycling, a group of twenty pickers organised themselves as the Waste Pickers Movement Makhanda.
What skills and resources were you able to draw from the community for this project?
This project relies on the assets in the Makhanda community. Rhodes University attracts students and academics who conduct research on the landfill and waste picking to help inform our programmes. We have also been able to draw on support from businesses who have donated towards workshops and the community garden project. We are also tapping into our global community and joining advocacy networks, such as 350Africa.
The challenges
We want waste pickers and informal workers on the dump site to be involved in decision-making about waste management and to be considered in plans. The management of the landfill is unstable. We need to form relationships with the management of the site and recycling companies, but these organisations change regularly. In the meantime, recycling is dangerous work and we need to stay healthy and safe and fed.
Addressing the challenges
We have developed an online presence to represent our vision of integration. We are also collaborating in research and enterprise to develop waste management in Makhanda. We need to form sustainable relationships with the municipality and companies who manage the landfill. We also need to establish a strong operational committee. We need to address social challenges experienced by waste pickers on the landfill, such as poor health, drug use, criminal activity.
The achievements
We have been featured on local and international media platforms and engaged in workshops and demonstrations about recycling. We are also part of a Service Learning course at Rhodes University. We started a community garden and learnt a lot about how to make sure it thrives.
Token Project / Move One Million
Johannesburg, South Africa