Passion for the environment and people drove Premilla Murcott and Tricia Hlongwa to capture the role of waste pickers on film.
The directors of the environmental awareness documentary Reclaiming Now wanted to highlight the daily challenges these vital informal workers face, including dodging crime, sexual harassment and poverty while picking through hazardous garbage.
Just shy of 30 minutes long, the documentary is packed with stories from the people who work the landfills to earn a living.
Hlongwa, who grew up in uMlazi, said waste pickers were vital to the conservation of the environment. South Africa did not have a strong recycling ethos, but the many informal recyclers showed there was a demand.
According to the film, waste pickers saved municipalities between R309 million and R749 million in 2014 through their recycling activities.
“The cost to our environment and landfills would be much greater without them and municipalities should acknowledge this. One of the pleas made in the film is one we should all rally behind: to create spaces for recycling because if they continue working in silos and with the minimal resources available to them, the benefit is kept at a minimum to the public. We need to encourage more people to recycle and sort at home, we need more sorting bins or stations for the public,” said Hlongwa.
“The environment is all we have and the damage done is irreparable. We should take care of the land we have. The air we breathe is affected by dust with harmful substances and fumes; our water is polluted by garbage spilling out into rivers and South Africa is a water-scarce country. The landfills get fuller faster, people living near them are affected and prime land is wasted when we could’ve utilised it for the industry. Waste recyclers are not a menace to society but a saving grace,” said Hlongwa.
The documentary was inspired by the thesis of Dr Allison Lindner, an interdisciplinary legal scholar from the University College London, and was made with contributions with African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) and the Waste Collection Community Associations (WCCA).
In 2021, Hlongwa and Murcott were awarded the LabourStart Award for Working Class Solidarity at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival for Street Traders On The Move, an exploration of how informal traders worked together to overcome the precarious nature of their work. This award recognises the festival film that best illustrates building worker-to-worker global solidarity.
Hlongwa said she jumped at the opportunity offered by Murcott to co-direct Reclaiming Now.
“I related to the work of lower-income people because that is my background. I know how much value we add to society but are hardly given any recognition, so being involved was profound for me,” she said.
Murcott said the documentary’s three main points were: sustainable development, key waste management policies, and difficult working conditions.
“The constitution and laws of South Africa guarantee that all should enjoy improved economic and social conditions but structural inequalities make this difficult for waste reclaimers,” said Murcott.
“Key waste management policy formation process should actively involve waste reclaimers to ensure their views are taken into consideration. The film suggests ways to successfully include waste reclaimers in this process,” said Murcott.
Hlongwa said reaction to the film had been very positive.
“It was touching to see the waste recyclers be proud of their work. The feedback of there being no governmental body involved or interviewed was especially gratifying because people appreciated the fact that we kept the focus on the actual individuals just taking their tools and ingenuity and doing what needs to be done without waiting for governmental intervention. It’s important always to show people doing right on their own accord and it was inspiring to see that being recognised and appreciated,” said Hlongwa.
The project started as a way to make Lindner’s research accessible and film was a much more palatable medium than a thesis paper.
“Most importantly the project became about listening to the people on the ground and finding out from them what challenges they face and what can be done to ensure they work better with municipalities and are included in discussions about future policies for the sector,” said Hlongwa.
They hope waste reclaimer coalitions will use the documentary as a tool when engaging with government or business.
Murcott also said there was a diverse group of waste reclaimers in South Africa, albeit all work in very difficult conditions.
“Although a formal inclusion policy guideline was promulgated in 2020, many waste reclaimers are still at the margins of the waste management economy. It is important to listen to what waste reclaimers need to ensure that their economic and social conditions are improved on a sustainable basis,” she said.
Hlongwa said one of the hurdles waste pickers faced was spaces not being open to them, such as gated communities.
Another was their safety.
“They take turns guarding their collection against theft and cars do not give them space on the roads. One must keep in mind that this is a physically gruelling job: they haul heavy collections on their trolleys back and forth for many kilometres, so the toll on their physical health is great. Sometimes there are dangerous instruments in the bins mixed with the recyclables they are looking for. People must throw out certain items in a considerate manner, for example, razor blades and needles,” she added.
Murcott said the film was intended for all audiences including waste reclaimers, university students who are studying sustainable development, environmental law, waste law and related fields and organisations working in sustainable waste management.
She added that it was also intended for people working in the government who are responsible for formulating and implementing policy and those working in waste law, environmental law and human rights law in South Africa and internationally.
The Independent on Saturday