I both agree and disagree with this proposal. In large I agree with the aims of the article and the project. In all honesty my heart bleeds to see these people struggle (for whatever reasons) and it puts me in touch with the reality of what poverty and desperation really are. They are working for a living and not turning to crime. SA also still has a lax culture towards recycling compared to say Germany.

However, there is one major negative problem to this which needs to be considered and addressed. By law we are compelled to use black (or green) refuse bags. Mostly for health reasons. And the bags can cost an arm and a leg. These bags are torn and the contents dumped back into the bins. With the result that the bins are contaminated by all kinds of gunk which encourages the breeding of flies, cockroaches and attracts rats. Especially in the highly dense areas where we now find so many complexes. 

This contamination is a serious health risk and invites disease for owners and pickers