Is there a link between creating waste and increasing poverty?
BP: Poor, rural communities suffer most, because waste is dumped in areas where people are already marginalised and don’t have a voice to defend themselves. When we create waste, we create an impact on the environment, and people need a clean environment to be able to stay healthy. One of our studies has shown that South Africans lose nine working days per year due to health problems caused by air pollution. Most of these people don’t have an income if they cannot work. What makes matters worse is that people lack access to health services, and we don’t have good enough health systems to support their physical well-being.
