The Directorate of Community Protection Services of Ndlambe Municipality invited the public to participate in a meeting held in Kenton recently to discuss the closure of the Marselle (Bushman’s River Mouth) Landfill site; recycling in Kenton-on-Sea and Bushman’s River Mouth and collection of refuse in both areas.
Currently residents take recyclable materials to the IWARS container in the fenced off Spar parking lot (08:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00 -13:00 on Saturdays) where it is sorted and from there taken to the IWARS depot in the Bushman’s Industrial Area for onward transmission. Household garbage is transported by the Municipality to the Port Alfred dump site. This also applies to builders’ rubble which is transported by the builder.
Various scenarios were discussed at the meeting, such as the separation of landfill sites for household garbage and builders’ rubble. Both sites would have to be identified and established or alternatively finding a site for builders’ rubble and investing in a large compactor truck for household garbage with an IWARS trailer attachment for recyclable materials. This would involve all homeowners and visitors separating their garbage (it is estimated that up to 80% would be recycling) into different coloured bags which would be collected in the usual manner. It was noted that residents of Ekuphumleni and Marselle would unlikely be able to afford different coloured garbage bags. Recycling in our area is ‘work in progress’ and until the stakeholders debate and plot the way forward we should continue with the current system.
Recyclable items e.g. cardboard, tins (give them a rinse and put the lid inside the tin), cans, plastic, and plastic bottles need not be sorted into different bags. One clear bag is fine. If you empty your plastic bag for immediate sorting by the skip attendant, Pampoen Zilindile, he will give the bag back to you for re-use – therefore saving on more plastic! Spar and BUCO sell clear bags. Alternatively recyclable items can be placed directly into the relevant bins in the IWARS container. Glass must be in a separate bag and taken to the same container.
We implore our members to support recycling. It is estimated that in 20 years time there will be more plastic than marine life in our oceans and what about our estuaries.
Recycling is the way forward – there is no alternative.
