DURBAN SOLID WASTE (DSW) is encouraging residents to be aware of the correct way to dispose of waste.
This comes after DSW noted that many residents have different views or ideas regarding what and when the council should collect rubbish.
Some residents seem to think that they can put old couches out on the street in the hopes that the city will remove them, or stuff garden refuse into black bags instead of the correct blue bags.
DSW is hoping to educate people regarding the etiquette and rules which it works to in an effort to circumvent the unsightly mess of rubbish lying around for weeks on end.
Some residents are also guilty of putting their refuse out two to thee days before collection day, thereby creating a health hazard.
This also allows cardboard collectors and the like to tear open the bags and scavenge for recyclable material. The open bags then create unsighly litter.
Illegal dumping has also become a challenge for the DSW team.
The recent upgrade to the Currie Road lookout site appears to have provide an illegal dumping site for people who are dumping bags under a tree on the site and hoping they will be removed.
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DSW said residents needed to be educated about how to get rid of waste properly, with the aim of a clean, green, improved environment.
DSW is a major solid waste management service provider within the eThekwini Municipality.Its core function is to provide the community with a comprehensive range of refuse collection and disposal services.
A range of products and services are offered by DSW including refuse collection, street sweeping and cleaning, a refuse removal service for residents, provision of domestic refuse bags which are delivered to homes and are cleared on a weekly basis on pre-determined days, and garden refuse services, which is an additional service offered for the removal and disposal of garden refuse.
DSW blue bags are used for disposal of garden refuse such as leaves, grass and twigs. Garden refuse bags may be purchased from retail outlets such as Pick and Pay, Checkers and selective service stations.
Alternatively, you can sign a contract with DSW and have bags delivered to your home at a minimum monthly fee. The bags are collected on the same day that your domestic refuse is collected, and DSW will only collect bags with the DSW logo.
Ryan Papanicolaou, manager of Transfer Stations and Garden Refuse Sites for Cleansing and Solid Waste at DSW, said there were multiple drop off points in the City for garden refuse.
He said DSW was looking into shredding at four of the sites with the aim of looking at composting options rather than sending this refuse to landfill sites.
“We encourage residents to make their own compost if they have the space to accommodate it and as long as it is not a nuisance to neighbours,” he said.
He said residents could hire skips from DSW or hire removers to take away larger garden refuse such as branches and palm fronds.
Garden refuse can be left at the Riverside Road Garden Refuse Site or Bellair Road Garden Refuse Site free of charge.
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