The African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) – which was founded in 2018 and was the first organisation of recyclers that united those who work in landfills and streets – celebrated its fifth birthday this weekend with two celebrations in Johannesburg.
The first event was for reclaimers, partners, champions and sponsors at The Troyeville House in Troyeville. It featured a trolley surfing dash down Pretoria Street; an art exhibition curated by Tamzyn Botha, project director at Shade; messages of support from partners and live entertainment. The second was the DJ led after-party that took place at Newtown Lifestyle in Newtown.
Due to the efforts of reclaimers in the recycling industry, South Africa is now on par in the recycling arena with European countries – 80 to 90 percent (by weight) of paper and packaging material recycled in South Africa is entirely due to the efforts of these green champions.
These reclaimers fill a critical gap in waste management in South Africa where, in some parts, waste management services are often non-existent. ARO now has more than 6 000 members and is focused on the northern suburbs (Saxonwold to Midrand) plus the central areas of Braamfontein, Parktown, Auckland Park and Brixton. It is currently actively organising reclaimers in Mpumalanga and the Western Cape.
The difference these recyclers have made to our environment is astounding and so it was hardly surprising that the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) became the first winners of the the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Living Planet Award for Organisations in 2021.
Research by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has shown that close to 90 000 South Africans work as informal recyclers collecting close to 90 percent of all materials that are recycled. This has led to South Africa being ranked third behind countries such as Sweden on its recycling rates.
Informal waste reclaimers collect discarded items that would normally end up in landfills and the environment and sell these to buy-back centres for recycling. Their work saves municipalities R780 million in landfill space alone and that saving does not include the savings in waste removal trucking and fuel.
ARO spokesperson and business development manager, Luyanda Hlatshwayo, is proud of what the organisation has achieved within the past five year. This includes:
- Organising and formalising ourselves into a democratic organisation,
- Establishing and sustaining strong alliances with a range of partners, particularly with residents,
- Securing government recognition – from local government to national government.
Hlatshwayo mentioned the crucial partnerships that ARO has developed with organisations, companies and institutions such as the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), Coca Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), Unilever South Africa, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Universities of Johannesburg and of the Witwatersrand, and Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO).
“We are living our five year plan as we speak. Further we have set up our own company, developed a successful working model, and have secured assets such as trucks of our own, plus a commercial scale warehouse and plant.
“In the next five years we want to scale the business. To grow into more communities in Gauteng and other provinces, own a few more warehouses, having more trucks, covering Joburg with S@S (separation at source), organising and hiring more reclaimers and so eliminating poverty from the reclaimers and truly make a difference in the environmental space.”
Communities around Johannesburg have experienced the benefits of working with ARO and reclaimers first hand.
Says Debbie Cunningham, S@S champion at the Carlswald North Lifestyle Estate: “It was 2020 – the year of lockdown when I saw a reclaimer named Petros, still pushing his trolley trying to provide food for his family in that trying time in South Africa. We started forming a relationship with him and tried to find ways to uplift him financially and socially with the drive to reignite dignity in knowing what he is doing, is bettering the environment as a result of his efforts day in and day out. One thing led to another. The Carlswald North Lifestyle Estate, with over 500 households, decided to work with ARO as they showed passion and care to each reclaimer out there.
“It is four years later and the system is running smoothly. The residents have seen the impact it has made to the normal reclaimer you see on the streets to just take part in separating their recyclables and having the bag simply picked up once a week. The change in behaviour and change of assumptions have been incredible and the residents at Carlswald North Lifestyle Estates have contributed to the social and economic upliftment of our area recyclers,” she said.
Angela Schaerer, S@S champion in Bordeaux also adds: “We decided as a resident group to partner with ARO because they had demonstrated their deep commitment to helping all reclaimers, as well as listening to the concerns and feedback from residents to find the best approach for our community. The ARO team invested time running sessions for schools in Bordeaux to education our children and help them to be part of the change.
“We have demonstrated through our Recycling with Reclaimers partnership with ARO in Bordeaux, that the reclaimers form part of our community, playing an integral role in the environmentally friendly processing of recycling waste. Over the four years since inception, residents have changed their perceptions and now acknowledge and recognise how reclaimers have helped them to recycle their waste. Most households now separate their recycling material from general waste and leave this out for the reclaimers to collect. We are grateful for the role they play and the guidance and support ARO has given in making the programme successful and sustainable.”
Stay updated and connected:
- Web: www.africanreclaimers.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/africanreclaimers
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