One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
According to Jonny, who has been recycling for the past nine years, they only earn between R40 and R50 for a full bag of recyclables.
It’s 3am on a Tuesday morning in the middle of winter. You are snuggled up under your warm duvet with your heating unit on full blast.
About two hours later, you wake up and make your way to the kitchen. You open the refrigerator which is filled to the brim with a wide variety of foods.
After having some succulent eggs and bacon with coffee, you enjoy a hot shower and put on layers of clothing to keep you isolated from the cold weather.
It’s now nearly 7am and you rush to your car to get out of the harsh wind as quickly as possible. Upon departure you notice someone on the sidewalk digging through your wheelie bin. In a harsh voice expressing your displeasure, you signal him to go away.
Little do you know what his morning was like prior to his visit.
It was 3am that same morning when he had to wake up for work. Without any heating unit, he got up and scraped together whatever pieces of clothing he had. With no breakfast, no shower and no proper winter clothing, he left his home to take on the dark streets of Krugersdorp.
About two hours later, he had climbed a number of steep hills, dug through countless trash bins and endured the frigid, spine-freezing weather without any form of insulation.
It’s now about 7am and he has encountered yet another disgruntled resident discouraging his method of making a living.
This is what mornings are like for dustbin diggers. Soul City informal settlement’s Jonny Morara and Patrick Matsile represent the thousands of recyclers who sift through countless garbage cans while being battered by the cold glares of the suburban residents.
According to Jonny, who has been recycling for the past nine years, they only earn between R40 and R50 for one bag of recyclables that is approximately 1,5 x 1,5 metres in size.
After walking more than 200 kilometres on a weekly basis, their income accumulates to no more than R900 per month, with which they have to maintain their families.
“We are struggling. Every day we get up at about 3am, in the dark, to get to the dustbins before the garbage trucks do. We walk from house to house in the cold wind just to earn something to fill our stomachs.
We have no other choice,” he said.
However, each and every resident has the potential to make life a little easier for these hard-working, under-appreciated recyclers. By sorting your plastic, paper and glass goods into separate bags and leaving them on the sidewalk, you can help feed a family for one day.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can even freeze a few meals and leave them on the wheelie bin for those exhausted, hungry men and their families. It’s never too late to make a change.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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