Civilians continue to discover new, innovative ways to keep their heads above water as poverty continues to devastate some households.

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For some time, recyclers have paraded in our streets, picking anything from boxes to bottles and plastic bottles.

Morepedi Lepoqo is a recycler from Stanley Street in Germiston.

Far distances of travelling is one of the main challenges faced by recyclers.

“I travel several kilometres every day to find the best stash of recyclable material,” said Lepoqo.

He said every piece of material picked up helps put food on the table.

“The distance we travel is beyond imaginable, we travel all over Germiston looking for recyclable material.

“I wake up very early, between 03:30 and 04:00, to start the journey.”

He can walk from Germiston to as far as Thembisa, Kempton Park, Edenvale and Greenstone, to mention a few places.

“One trolley of plastic bottles can produce an amount of between R150 to R350, depending on who is buying the batch,” said Lepoqo.