Waste Pickers Still Unpaid as South African Recycling Regulations Falter

South Africa’s vital corps of waste pickers, or reclaimers, who significantly contribute to the recycling economy, continue to operate without receiving due payments for their services. Despite their substantial contribution, highlighted by a 2016 Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) report, remuneration remains elusive, raising concerns about the efficacy of the country's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in November 2020 had set regulations under EPR obligations requiring paper and packaging producers to manage the lifecycle of their products, including integrating waste pickers into the formal economy. Nonetheless, three years since these policies were enacted, the promised financial compensation remains unpaid. Waste pickers are key players in the industry, diverting 80% to 90% of all recycled paper and packaging materials from landfill sites, yet they have not been rewarded for their indispensable services in line with the EPR framework.

Distressingly, the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) and the South African Waste Pickers Association (SAWPA), which combined, have a membership of around 8,650 registered waste pickers, reported that their members are still not receiving the agreed service fee of 15c/kg. This fee was stipulated for waste pickers to alleviate their financial burden and formalize their contributions to the recycling value chain.

Petco, the main plastics Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), after various pilot projects, expressed its predicament in electronically paying waste pickers, citing the 'informality' of the waste collection process. They have, however, successfully paid some reclaimers during tests for alternative payment methods and claim to support waste picker registration and cashless payment systems.

The PRO Alliance, representing eight of the sector's biggest PROs, acknowledged the non-payment of the service fee but passed the blame onto an absent payment system within the waste picker registration system, which they have offered to manage. Their executive director, Bhavesh Patel, suggested an overhaul of the system while stressing the importance of re-establishing the waste picker stakeholder committee to iron out the issues surrounding the service fee payments.

Unfortunately, meetings of this crucial committee were reportedly discontinued, though without clear explanation from the PRO Alliance. Melanie Samson, Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg, rebuffed the excuses of the PROs, asserting that their failure to deploy functional payment and tracking systems was the crux of the problem.

Responding to the claims of PROs and the current state of affairs, Peter Mbelengwa from the DFFE highlighted some PROs' progress in paying waste pickers, while also acknowledging the stumbling blocks cited by others. He assured that the department was committed to ensuring service fees are paid and suggested that talks focusing on immediate solutions were underway.

The situation appears to be a clear case of regulatory oversight failing to translate into tangible results. South Africa's significant community of waste pickers remains at an economic and social disadvantage, exacerbated by administrative delays and a lack of practical payment infrastructures.