Hunger Is Driving KZN Women to Recycle for Food

In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, women are turning to recycling aluminum cans to secure basic necessities for their families due to high unemployment rates. A five-year-old girl named Nokulunga Nkabinde, for instance, spends her day crushing cans outside her home in Embo, with the goal of earning enough money to buy food like vegetables, bread, and rice for her family.

Many women in the rural community, including Nkabinde, are the primary breadwinners for their families, relying on the income from recycling cans to supplement their meager earnings. The income from can recycling varies, ranging from R550 to R800 per month, depending on the quantity collected and the weather conditions. Gloria Diya, a resident of Embo who has been recycling cans for over a decade, earns up to R800 monthly and uses the money to buy essential groceries for her family, including vegetables, fruits, bread, and mealie meal.

Diya often collects cans with a group of other women before selling them at a local scrap metal buy-back center. Despite the challenges posed by inclement weather, such as rain or cold temperatures, can recycling has become a vital lifeline for many unemployed residents in Embo. According to Prisca Mhlongo, an induna or advisor under the Mkhize Traditional Council, can recycling plays a crucial role in the community, as it helps families afford necessities like scholar transport, school uniforms, and essential groceries.

Additionally, some women use their earnings to start home gardens, growing vegetable seeds to further stretch their limited incomes. Mhlongo emphasizes that collecting and selling cans has become a difference-maker for many families in Embo, providing a means to put food on the table and prevent hunger.