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

Durban loses a legend: Informal Recycler Afrika Ntuli

Tasmi Quazi On the eve of 31 May 2016, renowned Durban informal recycler, Afrika Ntuli, shockingly passed away after being knocked by a motor vehicle at a pedestrian crossing near his place of work in the Central Business District (CBD) precinct. The news of the accident was conveyed by the police to fellow informal recycler, … Read more

Collaborative Design: An Alternate Way

Tasmi Quazi Collaborative Design: An Alternate Way, is the title and proposition of an article written by Asiye eTafuleni’s (AeT) Research Officer, as featured in the KZ-NIA Journal 1/2013, from pages 10-13.  It is the feature article in a special journal edition called “Spilt Milk”, an initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and inclusivity between architects … Read more

“Informal” Economy Contributions to the Functioning of the Economy

Tasmi Quazi A common myth is that the “formal” and “informal” economies are two distinct realities that function separately; economically and spatially. Although the distinction itself is riddled with a lack of clarity and contention, value chain analyses of specific sectors has shown that the two are linked. Moreover, there are many thriving spatial examples … 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