Building livelihoods from waste: Informal waste recycling in Vrygrond

A buyback centre in Vrygrond, Cape Town, diverts approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste from landfills annually, providing an annual community income between R950,000 and R1.9 million. The centre employs 20 people and supports 300 waste reclaimers, though it faces challenges regarding land access and infrastructure. The document recommends formalising engagement between the municipality and buyback centres to improve waste management in informal areas.

• The Vrygrond buyback centre diverts approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste from landfills per year, which equates to about 130 tonnes per month. This activity saves an estimated R875,000 in annual landfill costs based on 2019-20 City of Cape Town tariffs.
• The centre provides significant economic support to the local community, generating an annual income between R950,000 and R1.9 million. It employs 20 staff members (60% female and 40% male) and provides income opportunities for 300 waste reclaimers.
• Monthly waste diversion is broken down by material: 60 tonnes of plastic, 30 tonnes of paper, 28 tonnes of glass, and 12 tonnes of metal. The centre is highly efficient, disposing of less than two tonnes of incoming material per month, or less than 1.5%.
• Operational challenges for the centre include a lack of business development support, limited access to land, and a need for resources such as vehicles, balers, and fixed infrastructure.
• The document recommends a three-way collaboration between municipalities, Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), and buyback centres to increase resource efficiency and formalise municipal procurement for services in informal areas.

APA

Sango, T. (2020). Building livelihoods from waste: Informal waste recycling in Vrygrond. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/assets/INFORMAL_SECTOR_CASE_STUDY_6_8_20.pdf

Chicago

Sango, Tawanda. Building livelihoods from waste: Informal waste recycling in Vrygrond. GreenCape, 2020. https://greencape.co.za/assets/INFORMAL_SECTOR_CASE_STUDY_6_8_20.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sango |first1=Tawanda |title=Building livelihoods from waste: Informal waste recycling in Vrygrond |publisher=GreenCape |date=2020 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/INFORMAL_SECTOR_CASE_STUDY_6_8_20.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sango2020building, author = {Sango, Tawanda}, title = {{Building livelihoods from waste: Informal waste recycling in Vrygrond}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2020}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/INFORMAL_SECTOR_CASE_STUDY_6_8_20.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }