Window onto a world of waste: cultural aspects of work in South Africa

Abstract

In the Western Cape a system has emerged in recent years where informal groupings of poor people make a living by recycling waste material in exchange for cash. There are several dynamic interfaces in this process and this short study highlights the relationships between the different actors—from the poor people who make a living by collecting waste through to the needs of the formal recycling organisation which increases its turnover and efficiency by accommodating informal collectors. The study explores the organising processes and cultural meaning systems that have emerged as the recycling activity has evolved and adapted to the needs of the various actors. It considers both local and macro contexts situating the recycling activity in the social reality of poverty and lack of formal employment opportunities. Essentially the study focuses on the underside of organisational life those adaptive but sometimes hidden and unofficial arrangements by which things get accomplished or ignored. Looking through the lens of symbols (words deeds and objects) the observer becomes aware of issues of identity (the positions of the players) culture (the rules of the play) and power (their playing strength). The observation of daily organisational work processes in which the stories find their roots offers the opportunity for unexpected insights into what happens in ‘a world of waste’