Johannesburg is teetering on the brink of a full-blown waste management crisis. With all four of the city’s official landfills expected to reach capacity by the end of next year, residents and waste reclaimers are already feeling the strain.

The closure of the Marie Louise landfill – once a vital site for disposing of domestic waste – has sent shockwaves through Johannesburg’s fragile waste disposal system. The city’s remaining landfills, Robinson Deep, Ennerdale, and Goudkoppies, are now under immense pressure as rubbish is redirected their way. Delays in refuse collection, and reports of missed pickups, have become increasingly common, particularly across the West Rand.

Read more: University of Johannesburg professor says the city faces imminent landfill crisis

According to associate professor Melanie Samson, from the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Sociology, the crisis was not only predictable; it was entirely preventable. “This crisis has been years in the making. More than a decade ago, government knew we would have a major problem if they didn’t invest in maintaining and expanding existing infrastructure. Despite this knowledge, they didn’t do what needed to be done, and now we’re in a situation where landfills are closing, reclaimers are losing their jobs, and, by this time next year, all of Pikitup’s landfills will be full.”

For thousands of reclaimers – informal waste pickers who depend on landfill work to survive – the closures have already taken a devastating toll. Many who worked at Marie Louise for decades are now without income, struggling to feed their families.
Samson warns that the crisis won’t just affect reclaimers; it will soon reach every household in Johannesburg. “The city will drown in its own waste. There will be nowhere to send residents’ refuse. This crisis shows that the city, and Pikitup, simply do not care about the health and welfare of reclaimers or residents.”

A decade of warnings ignored

City officials have known, since as far back as 2011, that Johannesburg’s landfill sites were running out of space. Projects aimed at reducing waste going to landfills, extending their lifespan, and even establishing new ones were approved, yet, little to nothing was implemented.

Instead, Samson argues, the city and Pikitup have allowed the situation to deteriorate to the point where they can now justify paying private landfills to take in the city’s waste, or pushing for public-private partnerships to build environmentally harmful incinerators and mega landfills. “The city’s proposed solutions will leave thousands of reclaimers destitute, and that’s deeply unjust because these very reclaimers are the ones who have kept the system going by reducing the amount of waste that ends up buried in landfills.”

ARO’s call to action

The African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) has been at the forefront of warning about the crisis. Its spokesperson, Luyanda Hlatshwayo, said reclaimers have been among the hardest hit. “The lack of alternative plans has affected communities, with waste collection issues arising due to landfill closures. The city’s inaction raises concerns about potential privatisation, which could lead to higher costs for residents.”

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For ARO, the answer lies, not in outsourcing waste management, but in rethinking waste entirely, starting with separation at the source. This approach involves residents sorting recyclables before collection, allowing reclaimers to process them efficiently.

Samson highlighted how effective this model can be. When ARO piloted a resident-reclaimer separation-at-source programme in Brixton and Auckland Park, participation rates soared. “Residents were more willing to separate their waste because they developed relationships with the reclaimers and wanted to support them. This led to higher recycling rates while protecting reclaimers’ livelihoods.”

ARO believes that reclaimer-led waste management is not only environmentally sustainable; it’s socially just, and more cost-effective than the city’s current system, which relies heavily on private contractors and expensive trucking operations.

The organisation has already taken to the streets, marching against the city, and Pikitup, earlier this year to demand action that protects both the environment and reclaimer livelihoods. ARO is urging Johannesburg residents to join their campaign by signing a petition to reclaim the future, and pressure the city to adopt sustainable, inclusive solutions.

Pikitup’s responds

Pikitup, the municipal waste management company, has downplayed fears of a total collapse. Spokesperson Muzi Mkhwanazi said the closure of the Marie Louise landfill was temporary and aimed at assessing capacity. “The site was temporarily closed to undertake a feasibility study to explore ways to increase capacity.”

He added that Pikitup had developed a landfill master plan, designed to extend the lifespan of existing sites and build sorting and recovery facilities. “The master plan seeks to address issues, such as landfill lifespan extension, building material recovery facilities, and expanding the separation-at-source programme.”

Pikitup maintains that it is engaging directly with reclaimers, and assisting in the establishment of co-operatives to improve recycling operations, but for ARO, and experts like Samson, time is running out. With landfill sites nearing capacity, and the city’s infrastructure already under strain, they fear Johannesburg is heading toward an environmental and social catastrophe.

Samson believes that collaboration between the city, Pikitup, and ARO could still prevent the worst outcomes – if action is taken now. “Every crisis brings an opportunity. If the city partners with ARO, displaced reclaimers could offer separation-at-source services directly to residents. By doing so, the city would be promoting both environmental and social justice.”

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