Is one man’s garbage another’s toxic treasure? A brief look into the informal recycling of waste on landfills and associated health challenges in South Africa
Loading...
Date
Authors
Maeteletja, T.
Manganyi, J.
Wichmann, Janine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Society of Occupational Medicine (SASOM)
Abstract
As South African consumerism has risen, the waste being
generated has increased. Poor accessibility to recycling
infrastructures in communities has resulted in a high influx of
reusable waste at landfills. Waste disposal through landfills
is the primary form of disposal worldwide. According to the
World Bank (2018), South Africans produce 0.50-0.99 kg
of waste per capita per day. In 2017, the Department of
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), formerly the
Department of Environmental Affairs, reported that 75% of
this waste is disposed of in landfills across the country. This
has, to some degree, created a ‘gold rush’ to landfills as
underprivileged and unemployed men and women in urban
communities turn to waste recycling as a form of income
generation.
Description
Keywords
Landfills, Waste recycling, Reusable waste, Informal recycling of waste, Health challenges, South Africa (SA)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Maeteletja, T., Manganyi, J. & Wichmann, J. 2019, 'Is one man’s garbage another’s toxic treasure? A brief look into the informal recycling of waste on landfills and associated health challenges in South Africa', Occupational Health Southern Africa, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 148-154.