In South Africa, informal waste pickers, known as reclaimers, are responsible for recovering 80% to 90% of all plastic and paper that gets recycled. Approximately 140,000 individuals are engaged in this activity, navigating city streets and landfills with trolleys to collect and sell recyclable materials. On average, each reclaimer prevents up to 24 tons of waste from reaching landfills each year. Collectively, they saved municipalities R750 million (around $45 million) in landfill expenses over one year, despite receiving no formal recognition, protection, or integration into the official waste management system.
Sifiso Gumbi began his journey as a waste reclaimer at the age of 19, gathering scrap metal in Soweto after school. After 15 years in the informal recycling sector, he established Urban Surfer South Africa, a Johannesburg-based social enterprise that advocates for supporting and equipping existing recyclers rather than replacing them. Urban Surfer provides essential tools such as PPE and personalized trolleys to help reclaimers gain recognition in their communities. The organization also operates four recycling hubs, allowing reclaimers to sort and bale materials for better sales prices, effectively eliminating the middlemen who previously undervalued their collections.
Urban Surfer utilizes GPS-enabled trolleys and a live dashboard to monitor activities, a strategy that has increased reclaimer incomes by up to 300%. In this episode of Sustainability In Your Ear, Sifiso discusses the importance of dignity in improving recycling rates, the impact of aluminum can prices on collection, and the potential to expand this model across South Africa and beyond.
A recurring theme in the discussion is how reclaimers act as an unrecognized R&D department. Aluminum cans, selling for 28 to 30 rand per kilogram, are so diligently collected that finding one on the street is as rare as spotting a dollar bill on the sidewalk, according to Sifiso. Meanwhile, less valuable materials continue to accumulate in landfills in Johannesburg and Gauteng.
Companies aiming to recover their packaging can benefit from understanding the daily choices of reclaimers about what is worth collecting. Data also plays a crucial role. Urban Surfer records every kilogram of material by type and price at its hubs. As the market for carbon and plastic credits grows, reclaimers will have verified, real-time documentation of their efforts. Sifiso acknowledges the challenges: four hubs are insufficient for Gauteng, and there are constant limitations on land and equipment funding.
However, the larger challenge lies in fostering trust between waste pickers and a public that still perceives them as vagrants, as well as between the informal workforce and policymakers and companies. These programs will only succeed if the benefits reach those who are actively collecting. This discussion raises the question of whether a genuine circular economy can be realized by empowering the individuals who are already driving it.
For more information about Urban Surfer and partnership and sponsorship opportunities to provide reclaimers with trolleys, protective gear, and recycling hub infrastructure, visit urbansurfer.co.za.
Interview Transcript
Mitch Ratcliffe 0:10
Hello, good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, wherever you are on this wonderful planet. Welcome to Sustainability In Your Ear. I’m your host, Mitch Ratcliffe. Today, we delve into the world of waste pickers.
The common perception of recycling involves municipal systems with trucks and facilities. However, in many parts of the world, including South Africa, informal waste reclaimers are the backbone of recycling. An estimated 140,000 individuals traverse cities and landfills on foot, collecting recyclable materials to earn a living. Each reclaimer averts up to 24 tons of waste from landfills annually. Collectively, they have saved municipalities millions in landfill costs, without official recognition or integration into formal systems.
This crucial environmental work is carried out by some of the most marginalized individuals in the country. Reclaimers face societal stigma and unsafe working conditions. Because they are unorganized, middlemen often exploit them, purchasing materials for a fraction of their worth. Despite their significant contributions, reclaimers remain largely invisible to the communities they serve.
Our guest, Sifiso Gumbi, has spent 15 years working to address this issue. As the founder of Urban Surfer South Africa, he champions the idea that existing recyclers should be supported and recognized. Urban Surfer equips reclaimers with tools and runs recycling hubs that connect them directly to buyers, removing exploitative middlemen. The organization also provides training, protective gear, and mental health support, transforming invisible work into documented impact through GPS and data tracking.
Sifiso emphasizes dignity as a core principle. Urban Surfer’s mission is not just about tons of waste diverted, but about recognizing reclaimers as essential workers. This perspective has earned Sifiso recognition and support from local governments that use his data for waste planning.
In our conversation, Sifiso shares insights from his 15 years in the field, the inseparable link between dignity and recycling rates, and how improved tools affect public perception. We also explore how his hubs enhance reclaimer earnings and how he convinces corporations to view reclaimers as partners.
To learn more about Urban Surfer, visit urbansurfer.co.za. Discover what it takes to view reclaimers not as invisible labor, but as the foundation of a circular economy. Stay tuned for more after this brief commercial break. Welcome, Sifiso. How are you today?
