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Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers

Waste reclaimers create a significant impact through their role in the recycling industry. Yet, the majority perform their role undignifiedly and with little or no support. Over the past few years, this impact has been researched, acknowledged and publicised by the government and private sector. As...

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Main Author: Robertson, Chad
Other Authors: Hamann, Ralph
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Graduate School of Business (GSB) 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Robertson, Chad
author2 Hamann, Ralph
author_browse Hamann, Ralph
Robertson, Chad
author_facet Hamann, Ralph
Robertson, Chad
author_sort Robertson, Chad
collection Thesis
description Waste reclaimers create a significant impact through their role in the recycling industry. Yet, the majority perform their role undignifiedly and with little or no support. Over the past few years, this impact has been researched, acknowledged and publicised by the government and private sector. As a result, the Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa was developed to assist organisations working with waste reclaimers. However, these guidelines were mainly derived from case studies where waste reclaimers were more organised than most South African waste reclaimers and none based in the Western Cape. The difference in organisation, location and demographics is significant as it alters the process used to integrate waste reclaimers. This research sought to understand better the processes used to integrate unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling operations or projects in the Western Cape. The case studies were selected based on an existing integration process between a formal entity, either public or private, and an informal waste entity, a group of unorganised waste reclaimers. Five case study projects were chosen. The case study analysis resulted in a process model that highlighted the central finding, the role of the “key broker”, who can build trust among the waste reclaimers and successfully integrate unorganised waste reclaimers. The findings show characteristics to play such a role and how crucial such trust-building is because waste reclaimers have a deep-seated distrust of actors in the formal sector. This research contributes to prior work by exploring what makes such integration processes successful even in the absence of large associations or intermediating NGOs.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:43.046Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Graduate School of Business (GSB)
publisherStr Graduate School of Business (GSB)
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/38138 Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers Robertson, Chad Hamann, Ralph Inclusive Innovation Waste reclaimers create a significant impact through their role in the recycling industry. Yet, the majority perform their role undignifiedly and with little or no support. Over the past few years, this impact has been researched, acknowledged and publicised by the government and private sector. As a result, the Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa was developed to assist organisations working with waste reclaimers. However, these guidelines were mainly derived from case studies where waste reclaimers were more organised than most South African waste reclaimers and none based in the Western Cape. The difference in organisation, location and demographics is significant as it alters the process used to integrate waste reclaimers. This research sought to understand better the processes used to integrate unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling operations or projects in the Western Cape. The case studies were selected based on an existing integration process between a formal entity, either public or private, and an informal waste entity, a group of unorganised waste reclaimers. Five case study projects were chosen. The case study analysis resulted in a process model that highlighted the central finding, the role of the “key broker”, who can build trust among the waste reclaimers and successfully integrate unorganised waste reclaimers. The findings show characteristics to play such a role and how crucial such trust-building is because waste reclaimers have a deep-seated distrust of actors in the formal sector. This research contributes to prior work by exploring what makes such integration processes successful even in the absence of large associations or intermediating NGOs. 2023-07-19T11:06:48Z 2023-07-19T11:06:48Z 2023 2023-07-19T11:03:15Z Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38138 eng application/pdf Graduate School of Business (GSB) Faculty of Commerce
spellingShingle Inclusive Innovation
Robertson, Chad
Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
title_full Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
title_fullStr Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
title_full_unstemmed Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
title_short Integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems: the positive role of key brokers
title_sort integrating unorganised waste reclaimers into formal recycling systems the positive role of key brokers
topic Inclusive Innovation
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/38138
work_keys_str_mv AT robertsonchad integratingunorganisedwastereclaimersintoformalrecyclingsystemsthepositiveroleofkeybrokers