Waste-pickers: The unsung heroes in our community

Often marginalised, stigmatised, and disrespected, waste-pickers brave the elements to sift through refuse in their efforts to collect recyclables and thus earn a living. What many do not know is that these individuals play a vital role in keeping the environment clean and sustainable.

To change this pre-conceived notion, the Chatsworth Concerned Citizens group has embarked on a groundbreaking project to vet, regularise, register, educate, and integrate these waste packers into community structures, ultimately restoring their dignity.

Team CCC is now calling on the community to support the waste-pickers of Chatsworth integration programme, which they believe will have a positive impact not only on these individuals, whose contributions go far beyond their daily struggles but also on the community as a whole.

So who are the waste-pickers, you may ask? Selvan Moodley of the Chatsworth Concerned Citizens group elaborates.

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“They are individuals who sift through our refuse on refuse removal days, collecting recyclables from open areas in and around Chatsworth. They collect all sorts of recyclable items such as cans, plastic bottles, plastic, cardboard, metal, and glass in order to eke out a living. They are part of our government’s integration programme, which comes from the national government. In fact, they are an added advantage to our society but many residents do not know this. The waste-pickers benefit the environment, economy, and public health system in many ways, while also creating sustainable urban environments. By them picking up recyclable items, less waste enters landfill sites and dumpsites, extending its lifespan. On a daily basis, these hardworking individuals are marginalised, villainised, criminals, and often rendered invisible despite their providing a much-needed service to the community. Their contributions are often underrated, undervalued, and unrecognised, and it is for this reason that we have decided to introduce the waste-pickers of Chatsworth integration programme,” Moodley said, adding that this initiative will get people off the streets and create opportunities for them.

He confirmed that the programme came after many consultations with the relevant departments within the eThekwini Municipality. The Chatsworth Concerned Citizens group is urging communities to assist them by knowing their waste-pickers.

“We are sincerely asking this of you so we can assist them in terms of registering them into a structure within our municipality, making them legal with a title, providing them with an identification uniform, and some resources to carry out their business further. If you know of any waste-pickers in your area, please share our details with them. People who also wish to be waste-pickers are more than welcome to get in touch with us too. By residents assisting us in this regard, we are eradicating crime to a certain extent as our waste-pickers can be the eyes and ears within our community,” he concluded.

For more information on this project, contact Selvan Moodley on 083-440-2887 or Teddy Govender on 082-411-9829.

The CCC team wishes to reiterate that this opportunity is for individuals who walk around collecting recyclables and not for businesses.