Exciting Infrastructure Project for Waste Pickers- Under Construction

Rebecca Plumbley Informal recycling is a well-established activity in Durban. Recycling paper and cardboard is an important element in the domestic paper-making industry,[1] as well as being vital to the government’s green economy strategy. Waste pickers salvage cardboard in public spaces as well as from local shops with whom they have developed relationships; they then … Read more

Reflection on a Field Trip to AeT’s Cardboard Recycling Project

Compiled by Tasmi Quazi As part of its dissemination strategy, Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) has welcomed the challenge of presenting its project work to interested audiences, particularly students.  This is because of AeT’s belief that a young audience can influence and contribute significantly to the future assimilation of informal workers into urban environments. Accordingly, close to … Read more

Growing Importance of Informal Recycling with Growing Concerns of Climate Change

Compiled by Tasmi Quazi Two comprehensive articles on the role of informal recycling, or waste picking, nationally and internationally have been written by Mark Carras for Urban Earth and Stephen Charters for Sustainable Cities International, both citing Asiye eTafuleni’s Inner-city Cardboard Recycling Project  as a good practice example. Carras’ article titled “Waste pickers in South Africa”, … Read more

“Maria – Queen of Cardboard”

Tasmi Quazi On observing informal cardboard recycler Maria Vilakazi at her workplace, Journalist Pralini Naidoo has written a fascinating article for the environmental magazine, the Green Times on 10th February 2012. Maria is a participant of the Imagine Durban Cardboard Recycling Project which was implemented by Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) for just over 2 years. Pralini … Read more

Building off our foundations

On Friday the 1st of July 2011, Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) were all hands on deck having accomplished a confluence of different activities. This marked one of the busiest days yet experienced, and it has given us a new awareness of the great momentum we have gained on some of our major projects.

Work experience with inner city cardboard recyclers

by Tasmi Quazi for Asiye eTafuleni On Tuesday 8th of March, two new members to the Imagine Durban Cardboard Recycling Project, who are 4th year social work students from UNISA’s Bright Site Project, joined two Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) staff members to get practical experience in the working lives of informal cardboard recyclers. The Bright Site … Read more

Friends of the Recyclers

Asiye Etafuleni invites formal businesses to support the Friends of the Recyclers programme. By donating your cardboard and paper waste to Imagine Durban cardboard recyclers, you can help to support the livelihoods of cardboard recyclers. If you would like to be involved in this initiative, please feel free to contact Tasmi Quazi on (031) 309 … Read more