Written resources

Waste picker integration guideline for South Africa

In 2019, the South African Government released the Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa: Building the recycling economy and improving livelihoods through integration of the informal sector. The Guideline was developed through a three-year participatory stakeholder process. The Guideline explains what waste picker integration is, why it is important, and how to work in partnership with waste pickers to design and implement waste picker programmes. This Reclaim, Revalue, Reframe website is designed to support the implementation of the Guideline.

Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa

Reclaimers and reclaiming

These written overviews discuss who reclaimers are, the work they do, the contributions they make, the challenges they face, and how they are organising for integration. One overview focuses on women and waste picking in order to foreground gender issues in the sector and emphasise that if women are not included, it is not waste picker integration!

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Reclaimers & their work (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Reclaimer Contributions (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – A typical day of a female landfill reclaimed (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – A typical day of a male street reclaimed (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Gender and waste picking (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Common needs (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Health and Safety (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Separation at source and landfill reclaimers (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & Reclaiming – Waste picker organisations in SA (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profiles

An important part of respecting and valuing reclaimers is seeing and interacting with them as whole human beings with full lives who have chosen this occupation. Get to know some reclaimers and learn more about their work, lives, and dreams by reading their profiles.

Reclaimer profile – Ana Mabe – Organisational support and friendship (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – David and Andronica – A working couple (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Dorah Mabe – Safe conditions (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Emily Mrabalalo – Women working for their families (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Eva Mokoena – Organising (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Francelina Lekeno – A roof over her head (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Lefa Mononga – A natural leader (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Nthombizodwa Gcabashe – Working with others (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Papi Spekhang – Fast Trolleys (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Simphiwe Rholoma – Recycling, upycling and reusing (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Refiloe and Sfundo – Working on Durban Streets (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Samual Motshwadi – Supporting a family (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Sibongile Muthwa – Professionalizing reclaiming (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Simon Ramohlokane – Sorting in a cooperative (published in 2022)

Reclaimer profile – Solomon Mafabatho – Getting the cooper (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration

These written overviews explain what waste picker integration is, how it relates to separation at source, the role of municipal officials in integration, and some ways to kick-start integration. Special attention is paid to landfill waste pickers, who are often overlooked in discussions about integration and programmes to implement it.

Waste Picker Integration – What is Waste Picker Integration? (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Why does Waste Picker Integration matter? (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Waste Principles Integration Principles (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Partnership vs charity (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Municipal officials and integration (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Separation at source and integration (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Enabling national environment (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Waste Picker Integration guideline (published in 2022)

Waste Picker Integration – Kickstarting integration (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & reclaiming – Amending landfill licences to permit waste picking (published in 2022)

Reclaimers & reclaiming – Social plans for landfill reclaimers (published in 2022)

Written case studies

Read through these written case studies to gain more in-depth insight into the case studies presented on this website.

Written case study – Separation at source by reclaimers – Johannesburg (published in 2022)

Written case study – Infrastructure for integration – Durban (published in 2022)

Written case study – Landfill cooperatives – Mangaung (published in 2022)

Written case study – Integrating landfill waste pickers (published in 2022)

Written case study – Separation at source by a cooperative – Metsimaholo (published in 2022)

Written case study – Zoning regulations – Cape Town (published in 2022)

7 steps for waste picker integration

This section includes seven written resources – one for each of the 7 Steps for Waste Picker Integration. Each document explains what the step is, why we need it, questions collaborative Waste Picker Integration Working Groups should discuss during this step, and some possible actions or exercises to do when working on this step.

Seven steps – Step #1 – Prepare (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #2 – Partner (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #3 – Plan (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #4 – Enable (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #5 – Institutionalize (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #6 – Implement (published in 2022)

Seven steps – Step #7 – Revise (published in 2022)

Integration toolkit

This Toolkit includes quick references and checklists to remind you of some of the key actions that need to be taken as you move through the 7 Steps for Waste Picker Integration. You could print them out and hang them on your wall or put then in a quick-access folder to take to meetings on integration.