RECYCLING ECONOMY: Unemployed rural women turning cans into cash as hunger bites

In the rural community of Embo, located west of Durban, unemployed women are turning their attention to an unusual source of income - collecting and recycling aluminium cans. Many families in the area are struggling with hunger, leading these women to take matters into their own hands to put food on the table.

Nokulunga Nkabinde, a 31-year-old mother of two young boys, is one such woman. She spends her days collecting discarded beverage, beer and energy drink cans, then sells them to a nearby scrap metal dealer. "I turn cans into cash," she says with a smile. "I use the money to buy food like vegetables, bread and rice for my family."

Nkabinde earns between R550 and R800 per month from recycling, which helps support a household of seven people, including her elderly grandmother, mother and two siblings. The pensioners rely on old-age grants, while the rest of the income is generated through Nkabinde's efforts in recycling cans.

While the income from recycling cans provides some relief, it is by no means sufficient to meet all of their needs. Nkabinde notes that the money can fluctuate depending on weather conditions, such as rain or cold temperatures, which prevent her from collecting cans regularly. When her income is insufficient, the family has less money to buy food, and they rely on other sources, such as backyard gardens and communal food stokvels, to supplement their meals.

Another resident of Embo, Gloria Diya, has been collecting cans for over a decade and earns around R300 or more on good days. She often collects cans with a group of other women before heading to a scrap metal buy-back centre to sell them. Diya's income, which supplements her husband's old-age grant, allows her to buy essential items like vegetables, fruits, bread, and mealie meal. However, she admits that their lifestyle is far from luxurious, admitting that they sometimes treat themselves to snacks or sweets.