Reclaiming Livelihoods: The role of reclaimers in municipal waste management systems

An interesting report about the role of the informal recoverers and their influence on waste management systems. Case studies from South-African municipalities are presented in the report.

The report focuses on the contributions of reclaimers to social and environmental sustainability. It explores the work that reclaimers do, how they use salvaging of commodities from the waste stream as a way to support themselves, and how they are being affected by municipal waste management policies. The report is based on research conducted for groundWork in three municipalities – Msunduzi in Kwa Zulu Natal, Metsimaholo in the Free State Province, and Emfuleni in Gauteng.

Preliminary research was conducted when the report author, Melanie Samson, accompanied Victor Munnick and David Hallowes on their research for the 2008 groundWork Report. The fieldwork for this report was conducted by Samson with the assistance of the groundWork waste campaigner, Musa Chamane, as well as Moleleki Fantisi, Themba Mojikang and Zodwa Mtambo from the Vaal Environmental
Justice Alliance.