Appraisal of potential impact of informal waste reclamation: Evidence from a municipal landfill in South Africa

• Appraisal of informal waste reclamation from the municipality landfill was successfully pursued. • Cross-sectional sampling of 99 waste reclaimers was successfully pursued and administered. • Acquisition of data was fulfilled via questionnaires and interviews, along with visual observations. • Female waste reclaimers showed more knowledge and awareness of waste management than males. • Affordability was the main limiting factor for low usage of PPE by the waste reclaimers. • Reclaimers use generated revenues to sustain their livelihoods, thus, in turn, contributing to local economy. The multifaceted panacea attained from the concept waste re-use, waste reduction and waste beneficiation by embracing the waste reclamation phenomenon, as inspired by the circular economy, has gained traction in the most recent decades. This is grossly pursued to minimize ecological footprints associated with waste in different spheres of the environment. However, informal waste reclamation, along with waste valorisation and beneficiation, has been the most pragmatic way of managing waste from landfills in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (i.e., mainly the Global South). Due to high poverty levels, waste reclaimers consider reclamation of waste as an opportunity to generate income, despite the health risks involved in the process, mostly owed to lack of formal training and robust safety measures. This necessitates the need to understand their perceptions on potential risks and knowledge of safety precautions, in order to propose sustainable management practices for waste reclamation by informal reclaimers. In this study, 99 waste reclaimers were interviewed, comprising males and females across various age groups. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews, along with visual observations, and it was then collated and analysed using tools such as SPSS and GraphPad. Results showed variation in the knowledge and understanding of the waste management continuum by the waste reclaimers. Specifically, female waste reclaimers demonstrated more knowledge and awareness of waste management frameworks, risks and safety measures than males, although males dominated the participants (75%), while the remaining 25% comprised females. In most instances, waste reclaimers who showed deep understanding of health risks and the need for PPE were mostly observed for groups with high education level (tertiary education), experience in waste reclamation (>15 years of experience) and involvement in other occupations (formal employment). However, despite this understanding and the large quantities (2.5 kg collected per week per reclaimer) of electronic waste, which may contain hazardous material, the level of PPE usage was very limited, mostly owed to minimal affordability. A critical research gap and harbinger was identified, which, to a larger extent, relates to the exposure to hazardous waste that emanate from households due to lack of waste separation at source prior to municipal waste collection and transportation to designated landfill sites. Therefore, this study emphasizes the urgent need for policy interventions and formalization, including programmes to support waste reclaimers and integrate them into municipal systems, along with protecting human health and environment well-being