The Tshwane municipality says it is in the process of identifying suitable properties for the development of dedicated recycling facilities.

This is to better regulate informal waste recycling activities and improve safety along the city’s roads.

According to city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the proposed facilities are aimed at supporting waste recycling activities in a safe, regulated and environmentally sustainable manner while reducing the risks associated with recyclers sorting and transporting waste materials along busy roads.

This comes after ongoing public concerns in various parts of Centurion regarding the presence of informal waste pickers operating on high-traffic roads.

Motorists have raised concerns over the potential safety risks posed to both drivers and recyclers during peak traffic periods, particularly where waste pickers push heavily loaded trolleys along major arterial routes and intersections.

Mashigo said the city recognises the importance of informal recyclers in advancing the circular economy and promoting waste recovery.

However, he stressed that such activities must take place within an existing regulatory framework to ensure public and environmental safety.

“The city continues to implement the objectives outlined in the national guidelines developed by the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. [These] encourage collaboration with informal recyclers while ensuring that recycling activities are conducted in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner,” he said.

He added that the municipality also continues to enforce relevant by-laws aimed at preventing environmental and public nuisances associated with waste sorting and recycling activities.

Mashigo explained that the city has established the Integrated By-law Enforcement Committee (IBEC), which consists of various internal enforcement stakeholders responsible for co-ordinating by-law enforcement across Pretoria.

According to him, the committee also deals with environmental infringements, including illegal waste sorting and recycling activities that may negatively affect road safety and traffic flow.

“The city is reviewing its Waste Management By-law to align with emerging national objectives relating to the circular economy as outlined in the Waste Management Act 59 of 2008.”

Mashigo said the review process includes consideration of additional measures aimed at improving the management and regulation of informal recycling activities within Pretoria.

He noted that the municipality is also finalising collaboration agreements with various private-sector stakeholders within the waste recycling industry to create more structured opportunities for informal recyclers.

“One of the key objectives of these partnerships is to create opportunities for informal recyclers to access and participate in the formal waste recycling value chain,” he said.

He added that the city’s planned interventions are intended to strike a balance between maintaining public safety and supporting livelihoods within the informal recycling sector.

“These interventions are intended to improve public safety and traffic flow while creating a more structured environment for informal recyclers to operate.”

Motorist Susan du Plessis from Lyttelton said the increasing number of waste pickers pushing overloaded trolleys along major roads around the city has become a serious concern for many motorists.

According to Du Plessis, the situation is especially worrying during peak traffic periods when road space is already limited.

“It is important to know who would be held liable should an accident occur involving one of these individuals and a motorist. Many of the waste pickers move between lanes or along narrow road shoulders during busy traffic periods, and that creates dangerous situations for everyone on the road,” she said.

Du Plessis added that while she understands that many recyclers rely on the work for survival, stricter management and safer operating spaces are urgently needed.

“There needs to be a proper system in place that protects both the recyclers and motorists. At the moment, it often feels unregulated, and that is where the concern lies,” she said.

However, resident Johannes Burger said the issue should also be viewed from a humanitarian perspective.

Burger said that, although he understands the concerns raised by motorists and residents regarding road safety, many waste pickers depend on recycling activities as their primary source of income to support their families.

“These individuals are trying to make an honest living and provide for their families. At least they are not resorting to crime, and they are also helping to clean the environment by collecting recyclable materials that would end up in landfills or lying in the streets,” he said.

Burger added that greater support and structured opportunities from the government could help create safer and more sustainable working conditions for informal recyclers without completely removing their means of income.

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