Socio-economic conditions of street waste pickers

in Johannesburg

.

Kotie Viljoen: Dept of Economics & Econometrics, UJ

Pikitup Waste Summit

25 March 2015

• Background and research methodology• Literature review• Results• Conclusions

Presentation

Background and research methodology• The results of this paper is based on data collected from 291 street

waste pickers in the greater Johannesburg area

• It formed part of a national study on the socio-economic conditions of street waste pickers in 13 major cities in South Africa.

• SWPs are regarded as:

• an “unknown population” in terms of their numbers and

• a “hard-to-reach” research population in terms of the difficulty in finding them due to the nature of their work – no fixed work place

• Therefore no sampling frame was available and as suggested by Bhattacherjee (2012:70), a non-probability sampling technique had to be used to collect information from the street waste pickers.

• The non-probability sampling technique used, was snowball sampling.

• A mixed method research approach was used to get a better understanding of the socio-economic conditions of the street waste pickers (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2011:5) .

• Data was collected between 19 April 2011 and 28 June 2012

• Most WPs come from poor social backgrounds (Sarkar, 2003:451; Viljoen, 2014) and make a living collecting and selling recyclable waste.

• WPs are characterised by poverty and joblessness (Medina 2000:58; Sentime, 2011:97).

• High unemployment rates, increased competition for jobs and labour market barriers make it difficult for WPs to compete for jobs in the formal economy (Viljoen, Blaauw & Schenck, 2015).

• Most waste pickers earn a very low income for their work and effort and their socio-economic conditions and working conditions remain poor (Masocha, 2006:839; WIEGO, 2011:1).

• Many face chronic poverty despite their attempts to generate a livelihood in the informal economy (Masocha, 2006:839). Social barriers prevent some WPs to obtain social capital to become part of the broader community

• These factors make it difficult for WPs to improve their socio-economic conditions.

•

Literature review

5

Literature review

• There are almost no barriers preventing them from entering the informal activities in the recycling industry (Langenhoven and Dyssel, 2007:115),

• Waste piking activities provide them with an opportunity to make a

living• It is a form of survival for those who cannot find work in the formal

economy (Günther and Launov, 2012:89).

• Requires no start-up capital, education or skills

The only requirement to pick waste (Viljoen, Schenck & Blaauw, 2012:21) is:• the physical ability to pick waste; • to have access to waste, and• have access to a Buy-Back centre.

Reasons why they engage in street waste picking activities

Socio-economic conditions of street waste pickers in Johannesburg - Results

Gender (n=291)

n %

Male 276 94.8

Female 15 5.2

Source: Survey data

Age distribution (n=289)n %

14-24 41 14.2

25-34 112 38.7

35-44 69 23.9

45-54 36 12.5

55-64 31 10.7

Population group (n=288)n %

African / Black 276 95.8Coloured 10 3.5White 2 0.7

52.9%

Demographic factors

Educational attainment – labour market aspect

Source: Survey data

 Highest level of education n=289 100

No schooling 14 4.8

Less than primary completed 105 36.3

Primary completed 26 9.0

Secondary not completed 128 44.3

Secondary completed 16 5.5

45.3%89.6%

ƒMeangrade

Mingrade

Maxgrade

Mediangrade Std. Dev.

289 7 0 12 7 3.296557

Poor educational attainment hamper

one’s prospects of finding a job (Lemon, 2004).

71.7% No other training

There are limited prospects for people with low educational attainment levels to find

employment (Fryer and Hepburn, 2010:6).

Reasons for leaving school early - n=268

Thematic analysis of reasons for leaving school n %

Theme 1: Financial difficultiesFinancial problems/ poverty 142 53Both parents died (no money or no-one to support them)

39 14.6

Father died - no money 22 8.2Had to go and work/ went to work 8 3Parents could not support him 6 2.25Grandparents/ other family couldn’t support 5 1.9

Total 221 82.95Theme 2: School-related

Failed too many times/ difficult, live far from school (farm/village), never went to school

15 4.59

22.8%

Source: Survey data

Theme 3: Family-related

n %

Had to work on a farm, abandoned by parents, pregnant, parents had too many children 16 6.05

Theme 4: Behavioural issuesDid not like school/ did not want to go to school/ did not work for him, bad influence, just naughty, lazy, peer pressure.

10 3.65

Theme 5: Health-related

Health problems/illness/ disability 2 0.7Theme 6: General reasons

Difficult circumstances, many problems, political reasons, passed grade 12 or equivalent

4 1.4

Reasons for leaving school early - n=268

Source: Survey data

Migration – country and province

Country of origin (291) N %

South Africa 199 68.6

Zimbabwe 18 6.2

Namibia 1 0.3

Swaziland 1 0.3

Mozambique 8 2.8

Botswana 1 0.3

Lesotho 63 21.5Total foreign = 31.4%Highest in countryNational average = 14.7%

Source: Survey data

Province born 199 100

Gauteng 43 21.2

Mpumalanga 15 7.6

KwaZulu-Natal 21 10.6

Eastern Cape 26 13.1

Limpopo 32 16.2

North West 29 14.7

Free State 25 12.6

Northern Cape 5 2.5

Western Cape 3 1.5

Employment history

Source: Survey data

Less than a year

12 - 23 months

24- 59 months

60 - 119 months

More than 10 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

12.1 11

42.8

19.814.3

Time at previous full-time job %

63%

37%

Street waste pickers who had a full-time job (n=289)

Yes No

90.4 % of 291 street waste pickers are looking for a full-time job

Higher than national percentage of 52.4%

Almost 65.9% had their previous full-time job for less than 5 years

The majority of the street waste pickers, who had a previous full-time job, did not have it for long periods of time

Lack of full-time job experience makes the SWPs vulnerable in

terms of competing for and finding a full-time job.

Working time

2h00 3h00 4h00 5h00 6h00 7h00 8h00 9h00 10h000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0.73.8

30.6

22.6 22.9

13.9

3.81 0.7

Starting time%

3 hours or less

4 - 5 hours

6 - 8 hours

9-12 hours

More than 12

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0.34.8

23.7

63.3

7.9

Length of working day%

Source: Survey data

Recyclable waste collected

Plastic

Metals, steel, copper etc.

Cans

Paper

Cardboard

Glass

Batteries

Returns of deposit bottles

Tetrapak

Globes

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

91.8

87.3

79

77.3

59.8

46.4

37.1

28.97.2

1.4

Recyclable waste collected

%

Source: Survey data

• Income unpredictable – uncertain, fluctuates

• Large differences on good / bad day/week

• Can be ascribed to:

• availability of waste (bad weather, holidays)

• stronger competition for waste during certain times of the year

Average and median income - usual, good and bad day/week

• Bad weather has negative impact on income earnings of WPs(Langenhoven and Deyssel, 2007; Sentime, 2011)

Usual day income

Good day income

Bad day income

020406080

100120140160180

80.65

178.52

36.7560

150

30

Income per dayMeanMedian

Rand

Usual week income

Good week income

Bad week income

0

200

400

600

800621.23

767.14

240.83400

500

150

Income per weekMeanMedian

Rand

Source: Survey data

Income• Income of SWPs measured by the absolute global poverty

measure of $2.50 pd for a high middle-income country such as South Africa (World Bank, 2010:1), discounted at the PPP in 2012 of R5-69 (IRS, 2013:1), amounts to R14.23 per person pd.

• In Johannesburg, the average number of people who depends on a street waste picker’s income is 3.6. (excluding themselves)

15

Dependency on income of street waste pickers excluding themselves

Average number of people 3.6

Average number of households 1.13

Average number of children 2.2Average number of children younger than 14 years 1.7

Living below the poverty line and the uncertainty of the income makes it difficult for SWPs to improve their socio-economic conditions.

16

At an income of R14.23 per person per day - $2-50.The income needed for 4.6 people at $2-50 amounts to R65.46 per day and R458.22 per week.

The income earned by half the SWPs are lower (median day income of R60 (R50 national) and median week

income of R400 (R300 national)

Expenditure of SWPs

17

• More than 90% - buy maize meal, bread and meat - major food items consumed by of the SWPs

• Around two thirds buy clothing, cleaning materials (soap, washing powder), vegetables, other food & milk

• Around 40% buy fish, shoes, blankets, paraffin, petrol, diesel.

• Very few buy coal or other energy and pay for a taxi or other transport.

• 56.3% spent money on alcoholic beverages like beer, wine and spirits

• 22.6% pay for the place where they sleep

• 3.5 % spend money on medical expenses

• 14.6% pay school / college fees

• 23.6% make contributions to a stokvel or burial society

The expenditure pattern proofs that the income of SWPs are low - cannot afford basic necessities such as school / college fees, social security provisions and in some cases a place to sleep.

They can therefore not fully participate in their community.

• 39.3% - street / veld / bush• 28.6% - shacks• 11.8 % - house

SWPs• Lack proper housing• Lack access to other basic

household services such as

drinking water, sanitary-, cooking- & washing facilities

Social aspects: Where they sleep

Lack of proper housing deprives them of the ability to build the trust and relationships needed to function efficiently within a community (Adato and Meinzen-Dick, 2002:6; Krantz, 2001:10-11).

Shac

k

Veld/bush

es

On the st

reet

House (b

ricks/

reeds etc)

Backy

ard ro

om/shac

k

Hostel/s

helter

Buy-bac

k centre

/ depot

Other

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0 28.626.8

12.5 11.8 10.8

3.10.3

5.9

Where street waste pickers sleep%

19

Source: Survey data

Additional food sources %

From other waste pickers 28 9.8

From dustbins/waste 90 31.4

Somebody else, e.g. church/ individuals/restaurants etc.

149 51.9

Lack of food may negatively impact on a worker’s productivity - provide the energy and strength required to work

Access to food and other facilities

Access to food is an essential basic need for survival

Drinking water

Food Toilet Place to wash

yourself

0

20

40

60

80

10086.7

53.1

80.169.6

13.3

46.9

19.930.4

Access while collecting waste

Yes No

%

Conclusions

20

• The majority of the SWPs in Johannesburg come from poor social backgrounds in terms of poverty and financial difficulties

• Their low educational attainment levels make it difficult for them to compete for jobs.

• 31.4% are foreigners (highest compared to that in other cities) • Almost 80% were not born in Gauteng – migrated • Lack job experience - 63% had a formal job before but for less than 5

years. 90.4 % are looking for a full-time job• Their income is low and uncertain which makes it difficult for them

to improve their socio-economic conditions• Lack of proper housing and resultant lack of access to other basic

household services deprives them from full participation within their communities

• These aspects do not only put the SWPs in an environment that is not economically sustainable, but also keeps them trapped in that environment.

• Policies should be designed to reach out to these vulnerablegroups within the informal economy to ensure improvementin their productivity, income and socio-economic conditions.

Thank you