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This article contributes to debates on the relationship between waste and value by exploring how the revaluation of waste at a dump in Soweto, South Africa, was transformed during the 2008 economic crisis. It critically engages Herod, Pickren, Rainnie & McGrath-Champ’s differentiation between ‘devalorisation’ due to material degradation and ‘devaluation’ due to prices being too low for recycling to be profitable, in order to develop three arguments. First, it is necessary to recognise how political mobilisation by reclaimers shapes the conditions for devaluation by affecting local prices for recyclables. Second, reclaimers’ struggles to monopolise control over waste as they govern their labour process may lead to materials that could be profitably reclaimed remaining wasted. Third, waste is not only revalued through global production networks. Analysing why reclaimers choose to revalue waste through either formal or informal circuits provides insights into how the economy is constituted and affected by crisis in postcolonial contexts.
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1
Cited in Levin 2009.
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3
Beall 1997, p. 73.
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4
Bauman 2004, p. 59.
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5
Chalmin 2010, p. 2.
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7
Levin 2009.
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8
Birney and Goldstein 2008.
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9
Kutner 2009.
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10
Chalmin 2010, p. 2; Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 89.
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11
Cited in Branigan 2009.
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12
Cited in Emam 2008.
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13
Cited in Levin 2009.
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14
Cited in Levin 2009.
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15
Branigan 2009; Kirchner and Thomas 2009.
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16
Cited in Branigan 2009.
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20
Packard 1960.
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21
Baran and Sweezy 1966.
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22
Gille 2007.
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24
Rogers 2005.
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25
Birkbeck 1978.
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27
Chintan 2009; Horn 2009, 2010 and 2011; Millar 2012; sewa 2009.
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38
French 2009; Levin 2009.
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39
Minter 2008.
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40
Levin 2009.
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41
Minter 2008.
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42
Eminton 2008.
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43
French 2009.
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44
Plastics Europe 2009.
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45
Levin 2009.
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46
Lowitt 2007, p. 5.
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47
Marais 2011, p. 147.
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48
Fine and Rustomjee 1996.
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49
Bond 2010; Marais 2011; Mohamed 2009.
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50
Bond 2010, p. 19; Marais 2011, pp. 124–5.
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51
Mohamed 2009, p. 22.
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52
Marais 2011, p. 130; Mohamed 2009, pp. 3–4.
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53
Mohamed 2009, p. 3.
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54
Bond 2010, p. 21.
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55
Marais 2011, p. 146; Mohamed 2009, p. 3.
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56
Marais 2011, p. 146.
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57
Ashman, Fine and Newman 2010, p. 179.
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58
Ashman, Fine and Newman 2010, p. 179; Baxter 2008, pp. 87–8.
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59
Marais 2011, p. 147.
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60
Ashman, Fine and Newman 2011, p. 177; Makgetla 2009.
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61
Ashman, Fine and Newman 2010, p. 179; Bond 2010, p. 23; Mohamed 2009, p. 23.
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62
Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 3.
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63
Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 37.
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64
Lowitt 2007, p. 58; Lowitt 2008, pp. 68, 76; Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 35.
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65
Lowitt 2008, p. 31, pp. 49–50; Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 33.
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66
Packaging Council of South Africa 2011, p. 36.
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67
Econex 2009, pp. 8–25.
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68
Lowitt 2008, pp. 72, 74, 123.
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69
Econex 2009, pp. 8–25.
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74
Interview with Buyer #2, 17 February 2010.
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75
Interview with Reclaimer #4, 18 August 2009.
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77
Chintan 2009; Horn 2009, 2010 and 2011; Millar 2012; sewa 2009.
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78
Horn 2009.
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79
Dias 2016; Samson 2016.
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81
Group interview #53, 15 February 2010.
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82
Group interview #52, 27 February 2010.
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83
Interview with Buyer #11, 6 May 2010, Group interview #53, 15 March 2010.
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84
Interview with Reclaimer #4, 21 December 2009.
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90
Harvey 2001, pp. 108–9.
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92
Samson 2014.
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93
Group interview #13, 27 August 2009.
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94
Group interview #12, 27 August 2009.
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95
Interview with Reclaimer #57, 8 January 2010.
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96
Interview with Reclaimer #38, 14 October 2009.
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97
Group interview #11, 26 August 2009.
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98
Chintan 2009; Horn 2009, 2011; sewa 2009.
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99
Interview with Reclaimer #55, 5 January 2010.
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101
Interview with Buyer #2, 17 February 2010.
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102
Interview with Buyer #10, 13 August 2010.
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Search for other papers by Melanie Samson in
Current site
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This article contributes to debates on the relationship between waste and value by exploring how the revaluation of waste at a dump in Soweto, South Africa, was transformed during the 2008 economic crisis. It critically engages Herod, Pickren, Rainnie & McGrath-Champ’s differentiation between ‘devalorisation’ due to material degradation and ‘devaluation’ due to prices being too low for recycling to be profitable, in order to develop three arguments. First, it is necessary to recognise how political mobilisation by reclaimers shapes the conditions for devaluation by affecting local prices for recyclables. Second, reclaimers’ struggles to monopolise control over waste as they govern their labour process may lead to materials that could be profitably reclaimed remaining wasted. Third, waste is not only revalued through global production networks. Analysing why reclaimers choose to revalue waste through either formal or informal circuits provides insights into how the economy is constituted and affected by crisis in postcolonial contexts.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1170 | 183 | 25 |
| Full Text Views | 287 | 37 | 6 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 150 | 19 | 8 |