South Africa: Recycling to Reclaim Livelihoods
Eddie Griffiths at the Mooi River landfill
Eddie Griffiths is a leader. He is an environmentalist. He’s an entrepreneur. He’s an advocate for social justice. He’s a waste picker and a change-maker. He’s a Global Greengrants Fund grantee.
Eddie supervises the waste pickers at a city landfill in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The social fabric of the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal is suffering. The rate of HIV infection is 39 percent, more than a third of the population lives below the US$2 a day poverty line, and two-fifths of the workforce is unemployed. In Mooi River the unemployment rate exceeds 60 percent. Eddie is working to change that.
Over the past few years, Eddie has organized the local waste pickers—people collecting, sorting, and recycling waste—into a collective group.
Mooi River waste pickers using their compactor to bale plastic bottles
Mooi River waste pickers using their compactor to bale plastic bottles
He has advocated on behalf of the group to get protective clothing, boots, gloves and masks for this risky work. He has petitioned the municipal government to provide electricity at their landfill. He has used that electricity to power a compactor that drastically increased the amount of recyclables the group can process. He sells these compacted bales to local recycling companies, which minimizes landfill waste, improves sector efficiency, and reduces the amount of virgin materials used in production.
Eddie and the Waste Pickers Alliance of Mooi River are leading grassroots environmental and social change in their community.
Sorted recyclable plastics gathered by the waste pickers
Today, there are 17 members who make a living wage of 50 South African rand a day to sort and compact plastic bottles, bags, and cardboard. They have the only landfill compactor in the entire country. The group has successfully created their own job opportunities to combat personal poverty. Their work is contributing to the regional economy and providing an important environmental service. And from his post in rural South Africa, Eddie understands the global importance of his work:
“Yes, together we all can change things for a sustainable future if we act collectively and responsibly now…”
The waste pickers of Mooi River are making a difference, but they still face many challenges.
Frida (left) was laid off from her job at a nearby potato farm. She is able to provide for her family by working as a waste picker at the Mooi River landfill.
The work they do can be hazardous, and their role in the informal economy does not guarantee them job security. They have begun to network with other waste pickers alliances, even as far off as India, but their position is tenuous. Their struggle is by no means over.
You can connect with Eddie and the waste pickers.
Let them know you appreciate their hard work and their leadership in fighting social and environmental challenges. Send them your support.