Waste pickers – also referred to as waste reclaimers – play a critical role in the collection and recycling value chain. As the first link in the collection process, their efforts contribute significantly to the daily recovery of recyclable materials, diverting substantial volumes of waste from landfills and the environment – where they do not belong.
Despite the importance of their work, waste pickers often operate under challenging conditions, including limited protective equipment, social stigma, exploitation and a lack of formal recognition.
Without the participation of waste pickers in the value chain, South Africa’s collection and recycling rates would be extremely low; landfills would most likely be full, and our streets littered.
For this reason and for many years, Petco has prioritised the inclusion and support of waste pickers. This commitment was reaffirmed through participation in the development of the Waste Picker Integration Guidelines for South Africa. Released in 2020, these guidelines provide a national framework for effectively engaging, supporting, and collaborating with waste pickers.
To ensure alignment and meaningful collaboration, Petco continues to engage in ongoing discussions and partnerships with waste picker organisations. In 2024, for example, Petco supported the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) with 500 colour-coded bins for their separation-at-source (S@S) project in the northern Johannesburg suburb of Bordeaux. The project encouraged residents to separate recyclable packaging from their general household waste, with the recyclable materials collected by reclaimers working in the area. This initiative is an excellent example of efficient separation at source, where reclaimers are integrated into the formal collection system. Previously, Petco also supported ARO with 400 colour-coded bins for a similar S@S project in Midrand, an identity card printing machine and over 2 000 bulk bags.
Recognising the essential role waste pickers play within the collection and recycling sector, Petco implements initiatives aimed at empowerment, improved working conditions, and increased income opportunities. These initiatives include capacity-building through skills development programmes, such as recycling workshops. Recycling workshops are designed to enhance knowledge of material identification and sorting techniques, thereby improving both the quality and quantity of collected recyclables. They also provide guidance on establishing and growing collection-based enterprises, while fostering learning, engagement and collaboration across the recycling value chain. In the past three years, our team conducted 252 recycling workshops in all provinces with 17 795 attendees, the majority of whom were waste pickers.
Another initiative is the provision of essential tools of trade, including bulk bags, trolleys, and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as conti-suits, reflector vests, gloves and safety boots. A lack of appropriate PPE places waste pickers at considerable risk. They are frequently exposed to injuries from sharp objects, vulnerable to traffic-related incidents due to low visibility, and may face misidentification or suspicion while working in public spaces. In the past three years, Petco has supported waste pickers countrywide with 8 381 PPE sets, 52 320 bulk bags and 127 trolleys.
We understand that supporting waste pickers goes beyond sponsoring equipment to providing mental and physical health support for them to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. In light of this, Petco recently supported a Waste Picker Health Awareness Campaign focused on improving health literacy, providing on-site health screenings and referrals, promoting safe waste handling practices, and strengthening collaboration within the waste management sector. As part of this initiative, Petco sponsored 157 full PPE sets for waste pickers. This support has significantly enhanced their safety and visibility, while also contributing to a greater sense of dignity and helping to reduce the stigma often associated with waste picking.
Safer, better-supported waste pickers improve collection rates, reduce contamination of recycling streams, and strengthen the entire collection and recycling value chain. Because Petco recognises their vital contribution to the recycling ecosystem, we remain committed to promoting fairness, safety, dignity, and inclusion for waste pickers.
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