“To earn money for myself, I would much rather climb the mountain”: The experiences of landfill waste pickers in East London, South Africa

This study explores the lived experiences and vulnerabilities of landfill waste pickers in East London, South Africa, through the lens of Beck’s Risk Society Theory, which frames their daily realities as products of systemic and socially manufactured risks. Landfill waste pickers operate in hazardous environments where economic survival intersects with exposure to toxic waste, emotional trauma, and social exclusion. Positioned within these risk-laden contexts, they embody the contradictions of modern society, where those mitigating environmental harm remain unprotected and invisible within formal structures. To investigate these experiences, the study employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, with this article focusing on the qualitative phase. Twelve participants were selected through convenience sampling, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that waste pickers face multiple, intersecting vulnerabilities, including health hazards, food insecurity, lack of identity documents, and exclusion from social welfare programmes. Despite these challenges, they contribute significantly to environmental sustainability and the recycling economy. Interpreted within the framework of Developmental Social Work (DSW), the study highlights the urgent need to recognise waste pickers as active economic agents that deserve inclusion, social protection, and empowerment. It concludes that a rights-based developmental approach, grounded in social justice, is essential to transform their resilience into empowerment and ensure that those who sustain the environment are no longer left behind.