Earlier in March, the Petco team took to the streets of Durban, starting in the Glenwood area, to kick off a very special week of action. In partnership with groundWork and the South African Waste Pickers Association (SAWPA), we spent the day distributing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and official SAWPA membership cards to the waste pickers working tirelessly within the community.

While many of us are familiar with seeing waste pickers in our neighbourhoods, it’s easy to overlook just how vital they are to South Africa’s collection and recycling value chain. Every single day, these individuals recover significant volumes of recyclable material from households and businesses, diverting waste from landfills and ensuring it re-enters the economy.

Despite this massive contribution, their work is often carried out without adequate protection or formal recognition.

Our goal for this initiative is two-fold:

1. Safer working conditions: By providing PPE, we are contributing to more secure and hygienic conditions for those on the front lines of collection.
2. Greater legitimacy: The distribution of SAWPA membership cards helps foster visibility and trust between waste pickers and the residents they serve, giving them the formal recognition they deserve.

Why Now?

This activity marks the start of a week-long initiative leading up to International Waste Pickers Day on 1 March. This global day of recognition honours the critical role waste pickers play in advancing environmental sustainability and a truly inclusive circular economy.

As we look toward the rest of 2026, it is a timely reminder that building effective recycling systems must start with supporting the very people who make them work.