City plans to formalise waste pickers at Alberton waste depot
The CoE says it has a plan for the waste pickers frequently found waiting outside the Heidelberg Road Transfer Station.
Albertonians have spoken their minds, saying the Heidelberg Road Solid Waste Transfer Station has gone from bad to worse, and the depot’s state continues to spark concern.
Many locals going there to dump waste feel somewhat unsafe because of the waste pickers.
The waste pickers wait outside the station and climb onto their vehicles when they enter the depot.
Affected senior Norbert Hilscher said the depot was a state-of-the-art facility before gradually deteriorating.
“I now dread going there, and coming to a rubbish dump shouldn’t be a problem. It’s part of our community, and we pay for these services. When I need to come here, I get a sick feeling, and that’s abnormal. When coming here, you get bombarded by people jumping on your trailer and standing on the side of your trailer,” he said.
However, the city is formalising the onsite waste pickers through its waste minimisation section in the Environmental Resource and Waste Management Department.
“The waste pickers are brought to the site because of socio-economic issues they face in the areas they reside. There are security guards deployed to prevent any criminal activity that might occur and to attend to trespassing by people not allowed to be onsite,” said Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.
Dlamini said illegal dumping is not allowed onsite.
“However, some residents refuse being redirected to the nearest landfill sites due to the distance.”
He also stressed that the Heidelberg Road Transfer Station operates within license conditions and that hazardous waste materials are not allowed onsite.
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