An evaluation of the role of waste pickers in municipality solid waste management at greater Letaba Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Waste pickers are underappreciated despite playing a significant part in reducing the amount of solid waste dumped in landfills and generating value from the rubbish produced by others. Many people from underprivileged and low-income communities work as rubbish collectors and sorters, selling recovered items to the recycling sector. The purpose of this study was to assess waste pickers' contribution to the management of municipal solid waste in South Africa's Limpopo Province's Greater Letaba Municipality (GLM). Waste generated from GLM is disposed at Tzaneen Landfill Site at cost, due to a lack of an operational landfill site in the area. GLM Landfill Site at Maphalle was still under development at the time of the study. Observation was used in the qualitative approach, and records from weighbridges and recycling facilities and a questionnaire with closed questions were used in the quantitative approach. Fifty waste pickers participated in the study. The data was analysed using SPSS. The results were obtained from the data records at Tzaneen Landfill Site. The records of waste bought and sold by a buyback centre at Tzaneen Landfill Site indicate that 4 455 tonnes of recyclables were reclaimed between July 2019 and June 2020, and 3 656 tonnes from July 2020 to June 2021. This is a total of 8 121 tonnes of recyclable materials that were reclaimed over the 24-month period. Due to access restrictions to the Tzaneen Landfill Site in 2020 because of COVID-19 regulations, it is anticipated that kerb-side reclamation and reclamation of waste from other areas may have had a larger contribution to the quantities of waste reclaimed during 2020. The waste at the buyback centre in Tzaneen Landfill Site comes from different areas. The results from the survey/questionnaire for the waste pickers included demographic information. The results show that more males were inspired to practise recycling than females. Due to unemployment and the need for an income for their families, they were looking for a source of income to support their families. The types of waste collected and sorted by waste pickers, according to the volumes, are as follows: Cans at 36%, bottles at 22%, boxes at 20% and plastics at 18%. The survey indicates that waste collected annually ranged from 1–10 tonnes in 2023, which is the lowest, to 501–900 tonnes in 2023 and more.This shows that waste pickers are reclaiming solid waste collected from different areas, such as central business districts, households, industries and other areas. A significant contribution was made in terms of diverting recyclable waste from the landfill site.

Ke ka sewelo fao batopi ba ditlakala ba fiwago tlhompho ka lebaka la karolo ye bohlokwa yeo ba e bapalago mo go direng gore go dirwe tše di botse ka ditlakala tšeo di tšweleditšwego ke ba bangwe le go ba le seabe phokotšong ya ditlakala tše di tiilego mafelong a bolahladitlakala. Palo ye kgolo ya batho go tšwa ditšhabeng tšeo di hwetšago megolo ya fase le tšeo di hlokago e iphediša ka go kgoboketša le go hlopha ditlakala gomme ka morago tša rekišetšwa intaseteri ya go risaekela ditlakala tšeo di kgobokeditšwego. Nyakišišo ye e sekaseka karolo yeo e kgathwago ke batopi ba ditlakala ka go taolo ya mmasepala ya ditlakala tše di tiilego ka Mmasepaleng wa Greater Letaba (GLM) ka Profenseng ya Limpopo, Afrika Borwa. Ditlakala tšeo di tšwago go GLM di lahlelwa Bolahladitlakala bja Tzaneen ka ditshenyagalelo, ka lebaka la go hloka bolahladitlakala bjoo bo šomago ka lefelong leo. Bolahladitlakala bja GLM kua motseng wa Maphalle bo be bo sa ntše bo mpshafatšwa nakong ya nyakišišo. Mokgwa wa go lebelela o šomišitšwe go mokgwa wa khwalithethifi, gomme direkhoto tša go tšwa maporogong a keloboima le mafelong a borisaekelelo le lenaneopotšišo leo le nago le dipotšišo tše di tswaletšwego di šomišitšwe go mokgwa wa khwalithethifi. Batopi ba ditlakala ba masomehlano ba kgathile tema mo nyakišišong ye. Datha e sekasekilwe ka go šomiša SPSS. Dipoelo di hweditšwe go tšwa direkhotong tša datha ka Bolahladitlakaleng bja Tzaneen. Direkhoto tša ditlakala tšeo di rekilwego le go rekišwa ke lefelo la go reka gape Bolahladitlakaleng bja Tzaneen di laetša gore ditone tše 4 455 tša dilo tšeo di kago risaekelega di kgobokeditšwe gare ga Julae 2019 le June 2020, le ditone tše 3 656 go tloga ka Julae 2020 go fihla ka June 2021. Ye ke palomoka ya ditone tše 8 121 ya ditlakala tšeo di ka risaekelegago tšeo di kgobokeditšwego mo lebakeng la dikgwedi tše 24. Ka lebaka la COVID-19, go bonala eka kgoboketšo ya ditlakala ka thoko ga tsela le kgoboketšo ya ditlakala go tšwa mafelong a mangwe e bile le seabe se segolo go bontši bja ditlakala tšeo di kgobokeditšwego ka 2020. Ditlakala tša lefelong la go reka gape ka Bolahladitlakaleng bja Tzaneen di tšwa mafelong a go fapana. Dipoelo tša sabeyi/lenaneopotšišo la batopi ba ditlakala di akareditše tshedimošo ya palo ya batho. Dipoelo di laetša gore ke banna ba bantši bao ba hlohleleditšwego go risaekela go feta basadi. Ka lebaka la tlhokego ya mešomo le tlhokego ya letseno la malapa a bona, ba be ba nyaka mothopo wa letseno go fepa malapa a bona. Mehuta ya ditlakala tšeo di kgoboketšwago le go hlopša ke batopi ba ditlakala, go ya ka dibolumo, ke ye e latelago: Dithini ka 36%, mabotlelo ka 22%, mapokisi ka 20% le dipolasitiki ka 18%. Disabeyi di laetša gore ditlakala tšeo di kgoboketšwago ngwaga ka ngwaga di tlogile go ditone tše 1–10 ka 2023, yeo e lego fase kudu, go ya go ditone tše 501–900 ka 2023 le go feta. Se se laetša gore batopi ba ditlakala ba kgoboketša ditlakala tše di tiilego tšeo di kgobokeditšwego go tšwa mafelong a go fapana, go swana le dileteng tša kgwebo tša bogare, malapeng, diintastering le mafelong a mangwe. Go bile le seabe se segolo mabapi le go fapoša ditlakala tšeo di ka risaekelegago go tšwa bolahladitlakala.

Varhwalelathyaka a va tekeriwi enhlokweni naswitsanana eka xiave xa nkoka lexi a va xi tlangaka eka ku tumbuluxa nkoka kusuka eka thyaka leri endliwaka hi van'wana na le ka ku hoxa xandla eka ku hunguta thyaka ro tiya etindhawini ta matala. Tinhlayo letikulu ta vanhu kusuka eka miganga ya malinghena ya le hansi na leyi pfumatiweke ti hanya hi ku rhwalela na ku ava thyaka kutani endzhakukaswona ti xavisa timatheriyali leti kumekeke hi vuntshwa eka indhasitiri yo vuyelerisa. Ndzavisiso lowu a wu lava ku kambela xiave xa varhwalelathyaka eka malawulelo ya thyaka ro tiya ya masipala eka Masipala wa Greater Letaba (GLM) lowu kumekaka eka xifundzakulu xa Limpopo, Afrika-Dzonga. Thyaka leri endliweke kusuka eka GLM ri cukumetiwa eka Ndhawu ya Tala ya Tzaneen hi ku hakela mali, hikwalaho ka mpfumaleko wa ndhawu ya tala endhawini leyi. Ndhawu ya Tala ya GLM eka Maphalle a ya ha ri eku tumbuluxiweni hi nkarhi wa ndzavisiso lowu. Nxiyaxiyo wu tirhisiwile eka endlelo ra risima, naswona tirhekodo kusuka eka mabiloho yo pima na miako yo vuyelerisa na khwexinere leswi nga na swivutiso swo pfaleka swi tirhisiwile eka endlelo ra mpimo. Makumentlhanu wa varhwalelathyaka va teke xiave eka ndzavisiso lowu. Switiviwa swi xopaxopiwile hi ku tirhisa SPSS. Mivuyelo yi kumekile kusuka eka tirhekodo ta switiviwa eka Ndhawu ya Tala ya Tzaneen. Tirhekodo ta thyaka leri ri xaviweke na leri xavisiweke hi senthara yo xava hi vuntshwa eka Ndhawu ya Tala ya Tzaneen ti komba leswaku 4 455 wa tithani ta swivuyelerisiwa ti kumiwile hi vuntshwa exikarhi ka Mawuwana 2019 na Khotavuxika 2020, na 3 656 wa tithani kusuka hi Mawuwana 2020 kufika hi Khotavuxika 2021. Lowu i ntsengo wa 8 121 wa tithani ta timatheriyali leti vuyelerisiwaka leti ti kumiweke hi vuntshwa eka nkarhi wa 24 wa tin'hweti. Hikwalaho ka swipimelo swa mfikelelo eka Ndhawu ya Tala ya Tzaneen hi 2020 hikwalaho ka swinawana swa COVID-19, swi languteriwile leswaku ku kumeka hi vuntshwa eka tlhelo leri nga na rihika na ku kumeka hi vuntshwa ka thyaka kusuka eka ndhawu tin'wana swi nga ha va swi hoxile xandla swinene eka mitsengo ya thyaka leri kumekeke hi vuntshwa hi nkarhi wa 2020. Thyaka eka senthara yo xava hi vuntshwa eka Ndhawu ya Tala ya Tzaneen ri huma etindhawini to hambanahambana. Mivuyelo kusuka eka mbalango/khwexinere ya varhwalelathyaka yi katse vuxokoxoko bya xidemogirafiki. Mivuyelo yi komba leswaku vaxinuna vo tala va hlohlotelekile ku endla mbuyeleriso kutlula vaxisati. Hikwalaho ka mpfumaleko wa mitirho na xidingo xa malinghena emindyangwini ya vona, a va lava xihlovo xa malinghena ku tundzela mindyangu ya vona. Mixaka ya thyaka leri rhwaleriweke na ku aviwa hi varhwalelathyaka, hi ku ya hi tivholomu, yi hi ndlela leyi landzelaka: Swikotela eka 36%, mabodhlela eka 22%, mabokisi eka 20% na tipulasitiki eka 18%. Mbalango lowu wu komba leswaku thyaka leri hlengeletiweke lembe na lembe ri nava kusuka eka 1–10 ra tithani hi 2023, leti ti nga tona leti nga ehansihansi, kufika eka 501–900 wa tithani hi 2023 na kutlula. Leswi swi komba leswaku varhwalelathyaka va kuma thyaka ro tiya leri rhwaleriweke kusuka eka tindhawu to hambanahambana, to tanihi tindhawu ta le xivindzini xa doroba, miti, tiindhasitiri, na tindhawu tin'wana. Vuhoxaxandla byo tivikana byi endliwile hi ku ya hi ku hambukisa thyaka leri vuyelerisiwaka kusuka eka ndhawu ya tala.