In December we handed out 100 care parcels to waste reclaimers in and around Johannesburg. We we’re overwhelmed by their gratefulness in receiving these parcels and the simple act of acknowledging these overlooked individuals in our society.
These parcels contained: rain coat, reflective vest: to make them visible, reflective tape for their trolleys, gloves: to protect them when they go through rubbish, cap and sunglasses, oap, wash cloth, toothbrush and toothpaste, a few snacks. Many people complain about the waste reclaimers that roam our suburbs with their trolleys. They often travel 100s of kilometers per day with trolleys weighing 200kg. These reclaimers earn their livelihood by collecting and selling recyclable material to recycling companies and together, collect approximately 80-90% of postconsumer paper and packaging collected in South Africa for recycling companies to reuse and have extended the life of landfills and saved municipalities up to R750 million a year in landfill airspace. They are caring for the environment and doing a job that very few of us will. What can you do to help? Get to know the local reclaimers in your suburbs, strike up a conversation and spread the gospel. Find out what they recycle and what they don’t take. Offer them a cup of tea on a freezing day or bottle of water – a little kindness goes a long way. Separate your waste and rinse out dirty containers. Remove bottle tops as these are not taken and often discarded around the suburbs (bottle tops and bread tags can be recycled separately through The Sweethearts Foundation – more to follow in a future post). Be mindful of the reclaimers risking their lives on the roads and give them a wide berth while driving. We have extended this project with another 150 parcels, if you would like to assist in handing the out the parcels – send us a message!