THE ROLE OF WASTE PICKERS IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Pickers play vital roles in municipal solid waste management which include waste collection, separation, sorting and reuse of waste, thereby aiding recycling and reducing pressure on the environment. Waste picking which occurs mostly in developing countries is an important survival option for the poor and unemployed. Introduction of new waste management strategies such as, separation of waste in homes would most likely impact on the livelihood of the unskilled waste pickers, because waste picking activities from landfills may be significantly reduced. Studies carried out in three areas of Johannesburg (South Africa) to determine the amount of waste that may be diverted from landfills showed that: 78.6%, 68.7% and 50.6% of recyclables and compostable materials from high, middle and low - income areas respectively may be diverted from the waste stream. If translated into practice, it could significantly impact on reduction on volumes of waste being landfilled. This paper seeks to establish how changes to the current system of waste collection in the City of Johannesburg will impact on waste pickers; and presents options for integrating waste pickers into a modern solid waste management system.