An investigation of the work challenges faced by solid waste pickers in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng South Africa.

The management of waste faces numerous challenges because of the growing population and economy in South Africa. As a result, waste facilities such as landfill sites are overburdened, and municipalities need to move up the waste management hierarchy. Informal waste pickers (IWPs) play a vital role in this regard as they divert waste away from landfills through recycling. However, they work in isolation from municipalities’ waste management systems, under harsh conditions and without proper tools. Recent increases in municipal solid waste have been significant and have detrimental effects on the environment and public health, requiring municipalities to move up the waste management hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, landfill). In South Africa, informal waste collection is a crucial component of municipalities’ waste management systems. This study aims to investigate the work challenges faced by solid waste pickers in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng (CEMM), South Africa. To achieve this aim, the objective was to understand the problems that they encountered as they collected solid waste recyclables to sell to recycling companies. The study was conducted in Germiston (Simmer and Jack Landfill) and Springs (Rietfontein Landfill site) in the City of Ekurhuleni municipality, focusing on landfill waste pickers. The study had a sample of 283 IWPs. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design and quantitative methods. A sample size of 283 was drawn from a total population of an estimate of five hundred fifty (n=550). Data were collected using self-administered, structured closed-ended questionnaires. Data was analysed by using SPSS computer software version 27. The study revealed that waste pickers face social, financial and lack of support challenges when performing their daily activities. There was no association between the location of waste pickers and their opinions on integration and the results can be generalised for the population of waste pickers in the City of Ekurhuleni. The study revealed that waste pickers need support from municipalities as they face critical challenges that affect their health, livelihood, and their recycling efficiencies. These critical challenges affect their health, livelihood, and their recycling support efficiencies. We recommend the establishment of municipal by-laws that protect solid waste pickers from the afore mentioned challenges, the CEMM should review the solid waste management by-laws that will include protection of solid waste pickers by communities who should at the same time embrace the role they play in protecting human health and the environment. The Gauteng Provincial Government should come up with strategies that will help make waste pickers feel wanted.