Waste  Pickers  in  Dar  es  Salaam,  Tanzania    

Palfreman,  Joshua    

WASTEDAR,  P.O.  Box  80394,  Dar  es  Salaam,  Tanzania    Abstract      Situated  on  the  tropical  shores  of  East  Africa,  the  diverse  and  opportunity  rich  metropolis  of  Dar  es  Salaam,  Tanzania’s   largest  city  is  enjoying  rapid  economic  growth.  Dar  es  Salaam  is  now   the   world’s   eighth   fastest   growing   city   by   population,   and   Africa’s   third   fastest  developing  urban  area1.  This  rapid  growth,  however,  has  created  in  its  wake  a  serious  waste  management  challenge.  The  city  generates  some  4,260  tonnes  of  waste  daily,  of  which  only  30%   is   managed   and   dumped   legally   at   the   Pugu   Kinyamwezi   Dumpsite   found   in   the  outskirts   of   the   city.   The   remaining   70%   is   either   disposed   of   informally   or   illegally   (i.e.  open  burning,   dumping,   burying)   causing   a   variety   of   health,   economic   and   social   related  consequences2.      In  2010  and  2013,  Dar  es  Salaam  was  rated  the  eighth  and  twelfth  filthiest  city  in  the  world  by   NYC   Consulting   and   Forbes   respectively34.   The   United   Nations   rates   Dar   es   Salaam’s  waste  management  structure  as  ‘well  below  average’  and  newspapers,  pop  artists  and  films  mock  the  city  for  its  unsightly  and  smelly  vistas56.    Despite   the  horrors   that  Dar  es  Salaam's  waste  management   situation   represents   there   is  strong  potential   for   recycling  based   solutions   to  Dar   es   Salaam’s  waste   challenges.  Waste  recycling   in   Dar   es   Salaam,   Tanzania   is   currently   not   spearheaded   by   any   government,  private   or   civil   society   initiative   but   rather   by   the   efforts   of   an   informal   army   of   self-­‐employed,   micro-­‐entrepreneurial   waste   pickers.   Such   a   substantial   human   resource   can  play   an   instrumental   role   in   cleaning   up   Tanzania’s   capital   if   sufficiently   understood   and  mapped  out,  however  previous  scholarship  covering  this  invisible  sector  does  not  exist.  One  on   one   interviews   and   focus   group   discussions   are   conducted   with   fifty   waste   pickers  across  Dar  es  Salaam.  A  total  of  fifteen  informal  recycling  transfer  stations  and  one  official  government  managed  dumpsite  is  mapped  out  across  the  city  that  respectively  support  the  operations   of   approximately   1,237   waste   pickers.   Waste   pickers   were   found   to   have   a  collection  capacity  of  up  to  twenty  kilograms  per  day  and  an  income  potential  of  $108USD  per  month  based  on  identified  market  rates  for  the  most  commonly  traded  waste  materials.    

                                                                                                               1  City  Mayors  (2014)  World’s  fastest  growing  urban  areas.  [Online].    2  United  Republic  of  Tanzania:  The  Vice  President’s  Office.  (2011)  Dar  es  Salaam  City  Environment  Outlook.  [Print  Only].  3  Mwakyusa,  A.  (2010)  It’s  official:  Dar  amongst  world’s  filthiest  cities.  ThisDay.  [Online].  4  Luck,  T.  (2008)  In  Pictures:  The  World’s  25  Dirtiest  Cities.  Forbes.  [Online].    5  Siemens.  (2010)  African  Green  City  Index.  [Online].  6  IPP  Media.  (2013)  Filthy,  stinking  Dar  es  Salaam!  [Online].  

 Methodology      The   study   used   an   eclectic   methodology—sourcing   a   mix   of   original   fieldwork   and  interviews  and  official  statistics  and  interviews  in  Dar  es  Salaam,  Tanzania  between  1st  and  29th  August  2013.      The   study   began   by  mapping   informal   recycling   transfer   stations   across   Dar   es   Salaam’s  three   districts:   Ilala,   Kinondoni   and   Temeke.   Informal   recycling   transfer   stations   were  identified  through  discussions  with  informally  and  formally  employed  professionals   in  the  waste  management   and   recycling   industry   in   Tanzania   including:   the   Dar   es   Salaam   City  Council.  Upon  identifying  a  new  recycling  transfer  station,  GPS  coordinates  were  recorded  for   the   site   and   uploaded   onto   a   custom   Google   map.   A   few   criteria   were   applied   when  deciding  whether  to  include  a  recycling  transfer  station  in  the  study,  including:      

a) the  recycling  transfer  station  must  process  at   least  one  metric  tonne  of  recyclables  per  week    

b) the  recycling  transfer  station  must  present  evidence  that  it  has  been  in  operation,  in  the  same  location,  for  at  least  three  consecutive  years  

c) the  recycling   transfer  station  must  be  recognised  and  supported  by   local  business,  religious  and  locally  elected  government  leaders      

 One-­‐on-­‐one   interviews   were   held   with   three   waste   pickers   at   each   informal   recycling  transfer  station  and  eight  waste  pickers  at  the  city  dumpsite,  Pugu  Kinyamwezi  amounting  to   fifty   waste   pickers   interviewed   across   fourteen   different   informal   recycling   transfer  stations  and  one  city  dumpsite.  Waste  pickers  were  questioned  on  a  wide   range  of   topics  including:   health,   safety   and   use   of   personal   protective   equipment   during   work,   travel  patterns,   carrying   capacity   and   their  use  of  non-­‐motorised  or  motorised   transport  during  work,   market   trading   trends   in   relation   to   the   sale   of   collected   recyclables,   recyclable  materials   collected   and   traded   and   the   average   monthly   income   from   the   trade   of  recyclables.      Results      

• Waste   pickers   rated   the   nature   of   their   work   poorly,   reporting   day-­‐to-­‐day  operations   as   ‘exhausting’,   ‘dangerous’   and   ‘unhealthy’.   Of   fifty   waste   pickers  interviewed,  forty-­‐three  reported  that  they  had  been  ‘injured  or  admitted  to  a  health  facility’   in   the   past   twelve   months   due   to   their   recycling   operations.   The   most  common   injuries   or   hospital   admissions   were   a   result   of   contracting:   airborne  illnesses,  cuts,  bruises  or  fungal  infections.  No  waste  pickers  were  found  to  be  using  personal   protective   equipment   (PPE),   (i.e.   gloves,  mask,   boots,   overalls)   and  none  had  medical  insurance.    

 • 100%  of  waste  pickers  interviewed  travelled  on  foot  only,  carrying  recyclables  in  a  

long   plastic   bag   and   not   making   use   of   any   type   of   motorised   or   non-­‐motorised  mode  of   transport.  Waste  pickers  were   found  to  travel  an  average  of   ten  to   fifteen  kilometers,  over  eight  to  twelve  hours  a  day,  carrying  a  load  between  five  and  seven  kilograms   per   trip.  Waste   pickers   interviewed   by   the   study   reported   a   collection  

capacity   of   approximately   twenty   kilograms   of   recyclable   material   per   day,  irrespective  of  varying  weights  among  different  waste  materials  being  recycled.    

 • 100%   of   waste   pickers   brought   their   materials   to   informal   recycling   transfer  

stations.   Informal   recycling   transfer   stations   were   operated   by   ‘middlemen’   who  had   acquired   a  plot   of   land   to   aggregate   recyclables.   These   ‘middlemen’   then   sold  their   higher   volumes   of   waste   to   formal   domestic   recycling   markets   that   offered  higher   buying   rates   for   the   same   waste   materials.   Informal   recycling   transfer  stations  were  identified  and  visited  at:  Mikocheni  B,  Namanga,  General  Tyre,  Biafra,  Manyanya,  Magomeni  Morocco,  Jangwani,  Kaunda,  Kamata,  Ilala  Boma,  Gereji,  Pugu  Kinyamwezi,  Kivukoni  Fish  Market  and  Clock  Tower.  

 • The  most   commonly   collected   and   traded  waste  materials  were   hard   plastics   (i.e.  

PET/HDPE),  white   paper,   cardboard,  metal,   bones   and   glass.   No  waste   pickers   or  informal   recycling   transfer   stations  were   found   collecting   or   trading   fibre   plastics  (i.e.  LDPE),  tyres,  textiles  or  tetrapak.    

 • An   average   of   sixty-­‐five   waste   pickers   entered   and   exited   identified   informal  

recycling  transfer  stations  daily  to  trade  their  waste  materials  while  some  200-­‐300  waste   pickers   entered   and   exited   the   Pugu   Kinyamwezi   city   dumpsite   daily   to  collect   and   trade   waste   materials.   It   is   estimated   that   a   combined   total   of   1,237  waste   pickers   are   operational   at   both   the   fourteen   identified   informal   recycling  transfer  stations  and  the  one  city  dumpsite  at  Pugu  Kinyamwezi.  

 • Of   fifty   waste   pickers   interviewed   an   average   monthly   income   of   $108USD   was  

reported,  an  earning  40%  higher  than  the  set  national  minimum  wage  in  Tanzania  for  formal  employment  before  tax.    

Discussion      

• Recycling  activities  by  waste  pickers  could  be  substantially  safer  through  the  use  of  PPE.   The   provision   of   PPE   could   potentially   result   in   lower   medical  costs/admissions   by  waste   pickers,   thus  maximising  working   time   and   profits   for  waste   pickers.   Waste   pickers   who   wore   masks   for   example   could   reduce   their  susceptibility  to  airborne  sicknesses,  while  the  use  of  boots,  glasses  and  gloves  could  potentially   reduce   the   occurrence   of   injury   to   waste   pickers.   The   Government   of  Tanzania  must  do  more   to  police   the  use  of  PPE  by  waste  pickers  as   stipulated   in  Section  38  of  the  Solid  Waste  Management  Regulations  (2009)  that  requires  waste  pickers   to   use   personal   protective   equipment   when   handling   waste.   As   waste  pickers   themselves  are  mobile  and  more  economically  vulnerable,   the  government  could   police   the   use   of   PPE   by   targeting   middlemen   who   are   based   full   time   at  informal   recycling   transfer   stations.   The   government  might   effectively   ban   or   fine  these  middlemen  if  they  agree  to  trade  with  waste  pickers  who  are  not  using  PPE.        

• The   scale   as  well   as   the   collection   and   transport   capacity   of  waste  pickers   is   now  better  understood.  Some  1,267  waste  pickers,  each  able  to  collect,  move  and  trade  approximately  twenty  kilograms  of  recyclable  waste  per  day  are  estimated  to  exist  in  Dar  es  Salaam.   If   stakeholders   in  government,   civil   society  or   the  private  sector  can   learn   how   to  mobilise   and  manage   this   valuable   human   resource   some   25.34  

metric   tonnes   of   waste   could   potentially   be   recycled   daily.   This   will   hence   be   an  outcome  that  would  represent  a  recycling  capacity  almost  six  times  higher  than  the  cities   total   daily   waste   production   of   4.26   metric   tonnes   daily.   Additionally,   if  stakeholders  can  learn  how  to  partner  with  the  informal  human  resource  that  waste  pickers  represent,  then  they  could  potentially  explore  ways  to  provide  other  modes  of  motorised  and  non-­‐motorised  transport   to  waste  pickers.  This  could  potentially  result   in   a   far   higher   collection   and   trading   capacity   per   waste   picker   and   a   less  exhausting  nature  of  work  too.    

 • Recycling   can   play   a   more   substantial   role   in   managing   Dar   es   Salaam’s   waste  

problems   if   informal   recycling   transfer   stations   can   offer   more   comprehensive  market  solutions  for  a  wider  range  of  waste  materials.  This  study  identified  that  of  fourteen  informal  recycling  transfer  stations  in  Dar  es  Salaam,  none  purchased  fibre  plastics,   tyres,   textiles   or   tetrapak   waste   materials.   Now   that   the   trends,   trading  options   and   physical   locations   of   informal   recycling   transfer   stations   are   known,  multiple   stakeholders,   including   those   in  government,   civil   society  and   the  private  sector   can   seize   the   opportunity   to   form   partnerships   with   the   informal   waste  picking  market   in   efforts   to   apply  monetary   value   to   items   that   are   not   currently  being  traded.      

 • Waste  pickers  were   found  to  have  a  monthly   income  substantially  higher   than  the  

national  minimum  wage.  If  formalised,  the  vibrant  informal  sector  of  waste  picking  could   thus   make   tax   contributions   and   reap   governmental   benefits   and   also   join  worker   co-­‐operatives   for   improved   representation   within   formal   sectors   in  government,   civil   society   and   the  private   sector.   Such   an   initiative,   the  Alliance   of  Waste  Pickers  (Tanzania)  was  launched  in  2014.  The  initiative  offers  identification,  legal  representation,  PPE  and  additional  services  to  waste  pickers  who  register  and  pay  an  annual  subscription  to  the  alliance.    

 Conclusion      The   informal   network   of  waste   pickers   and   informal   recycling   transfer   stations   in  Dar   es  Salaam   is  providing  a  commendable  environmental  and  waste  management  service   to   the  city.   This   study   finds   however   that   there   is   great   potential   for   the   development   and  mobilisation  of  this  informal  human  resource.  From  training  opportunities  and  basic  forms  of   personal   protective   equipment   to   coordination   through   waste   picker   alliances   and  cooperatives   there   are   a   variety   of  methods   that  waste   pickers   could   employ   to   improve  their   working   conditions   and   maximise   their   profits.   Additionally,   there   are   obvious  opportunities   for   actors   in   the   formal   sector,   such   as   stakeholders   in   government,   the  private  sector  or  civil  society  who  could  benefit  from  the  services  of  waste  pickers  through  mobilising   this   human   force   for   common   goals.   Through   multi-­‐stakeholder   participation  and   the   establishment   of   a   bridge   between   the   informal   and   formal,   waste   pickers   and  leaders,  entrepreneurs  and  visionaries  of  Dar  es  Salaam  can  realise  a  cleaner  metropolis  for  all.