• News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • StartUPs
      • Chidiverse
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
    • Appointment
  • TECHECONOMY TV
  • Apply
  • TBS
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
Saturday, October 4, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
Tech | Business | Economy
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • StartUPs
      • Chidiverse
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
    • Appointment
  • TECHECONOMY TV
  • Apply
  • TBS
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
  • Chidiverse
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • StartUPs
      • Chidiverse
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
    • Appointment
  • TECHECONOMY TV
  • Apply
  • TBS
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs
  • Chidiverse
No Result
View All Result
Tech | Business | Economy
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Finance
  • StartUPs
  • TechTAINMENT
  • Guest Writer
  • Digital Assets
  • IndustryINFLUENCERS
  • Environment
  • Macro Monday
ADVERTISEMENT

Stop Pretending Waste Pickers Don’t Exist

How Regenize’s REACT solution obliterates exploitation in South Africa 

Waste Pickers

A waste picker

South Africa has high recycling rates thanks to waste reclaimers but refuses to treat them as real workers.

They collect up to 80% of recycled packaging, yet remain invisible to policy, unpaid, and unprotected. 

Regenize doesn’t just recycle, its REACT solution digitalises and formalises reclaimers’ work, obliterating generations of exploitation with fair pay, Personal Protective Equipment  (PPE) and giving dignity to their role. 

According to Chad Robertson, Regenize co-Founder & CEO, there are an estimated 60,000–90,000 waste pickers in South Africa who collect as much as 80% of the country’s recycled paper and packaging.

“Yet they operate in dangerous, unregulated conditions, sorting waste by hand, moving through landfill sites and city streets with no guarantee of income or social protection.” 

He stresses that municipal or private recycling systems rarely interact meaningfully with this workforce. “Without proper infrastructure, access to clean recyclables, transport, PPE, or formal recognition, they remain uncompensated essential workers in a broken supply chain.” 

Each decentralised recycling hub created by REACT provides reclaimers with access to clean recyclables from at least 1200 households, increase income by up to 300% , uniforms, PPE, tablets for tracking, and formal integration into the recycling process – turning them into formally employed partners and can enjoy the basic labour rights we all enjoy in South Africa. 

Households earn Remali points after each recycling collection. These points are credited instantly and can be converted into tangible resources either online or through our network of shops in our operational community. 

Within the next 12 months, REACT will be setting up another 31 decentralised recycling hubs taking them to 36 in total in the Cape Town region.

These hubs will provide their free recycling collection service to 43 200 households, create 180 jobs for waste reclaimers while diverting around 5500 tonnes annually. 

“If South Africa wants credible recycling, it must honour – and compensate – its waste reclaimers. Regenize’s REACT rewrites the narrative: reclaimers are not charity cases – they are frontline agents of sustainability. And when recycling becomes fair, participation and impact follow,” he concludes. 

0Shares

Tags: ReactWaste Pickers
Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Next Post
Y Combinator Launches ‘Early Decision’ to Back Students

Y Combinator Launches ‘Early Decision’ to Back Students Who Want to Graduate Before Building Startups

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

© 2025 TECHECONOMY.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tech
    • DisruptiveTECH
    • ConsumerTech
    • How To
    • TechTAINMENT
  • Business
    • Telecoms
    • Mobility
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • StartUPs
      • Chidiverse
    • TE Insights
    • Security
  • Partners
  • Economy
    • Finance
    • Fintech
    • Digital Assets
    • Personal Finance
    • Insurance
  • Features
    • IndustryINFLUENCERS
    • Guest Writer
    • EventDIARY
    • Editorial
    • Appointment
  • TECHECONOMY TV
  • Apply
  • TBS
  • BusinesSENSE For SMEs

© 2025 TECHECONOMY.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.