13 March 2009
	GARBAGE RECLAIMING Legalise it By Razina Munshi

Next time you see someone scavenging through a rubbish bin, think about this: the "garbage reclaimer" is making a living and helping to protect the environment by recycling. More and more people are turning waste at landfills and in garbage bins into commodities they rely on for their livelihood. And the contribution they can make to reducing waste warrants government's attention, says Melanie Samson, author of a new report on garbage reclaimers. Reclaiming - The environment benefits "Government must recognise reclaiming as a legitimate occupation," says Samson. Reclaimers contribute to a better environment as well as to the local economy, and should be stakeholders in municipal waste management processes, she adds. The report, "Reclaiming livelihoods", was commissioned by GroundWork, an environmental justice organisation that has lobbied government to recognise reclaimers. GroundWork has succeeded in getting government to adapt the waste bill to include reclaimers. When the bill is enacted, it will be the first time they are officially recognised. Municipalities have used concerns regarding the health and safety of people who dig in piles of rubbish as an excuse to bar reclaimers from landfills. They should instead create a more formalised work environment for reclaimers, making it safer and more secure, Samson says. For example, while other municipalities have barred access to dumps, Emfuleni in Gauteng has devised a system where reclaimers have rotating access to new rubbish trucks that come in. They have also redesigned the space at the landfill to give each reclaimer his or her own sorting area. SA's first waste summit in 2001 committed government, business and communities to halving waste by 2012, and to achieve zero waste by 2022. It also commits government to promoting employment opportunities through product reuse and recycling. Garbage reclaimers may be the ideal target.