For now, black is the new orange

RESIDENTS have been throwing out their plastic waste at the Keep Hillcrest Beautiful Association (KHBA) recycling site, but this is not the right place for it.

And, the KHBA has been receiving calls from residents wanting to know where the orange bags (OB) are?

The recycling site in Delamore Road is an initiative of the KHBA as a service to the community.

According to chairman of the KHBA, Marge Mitchell, the KHBA is in no form or way involved in the orange bags initiative which is purely an eThekwini municipality project.

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The association has made an appeal to the public to not bring orange bags or plastic to the recycling centre as they cannot accept it, neither are they responsible for it.

“We have witnessed persons throwing their orange bags onto the pavement outside out recycling site when our staff explain that we are not responsible for plastic recycling. This does not help the situation in any way and we ask the public to rather place their plastic into black bags for normal refuse collection,” said Marge.

She urged readers to write to the mayor of eThekwini asking for an explanation.

“In the interim until the investigation into fraud in this matter is finalised, please place your plastic into black bags for normal refuse collection. If it is at all possible, please reduce your use of plastic,” she added.

Chairperson of the KZN Recycling Forum, Chris Whyte, said that DSW has unfortunately been just as evasive with the forum as they are with everyone else when it comes to the future of the orange bag recycling programme.

“The reality is that this has directly caused the financial collapse of most contractors and resulted in hundreds of people losing their jobs and contractors selling off assets to stay in business. This means that it will take a long time to resuscitate the project,” he said.

According to Whyte, in regards to the ramifications on corruption and fraud related to this saga, the KZN Recycling Forum has no informed opinion nor the information to lay blame on the responsible authorities.

ALSO READ: Durban’s orange bag saga continues

“This is not our mandate. Ours is to support and develop recycling across the city and as such we have constantly extended a hand of support to DSW and city authorities to assist and facilitate wherever possible. We have offered to assist in the management of the project and play an advocacy role where we can create a platform for the citizens of the city that is informative, supportive and available,” he said.

Whyte revealed that their offer to support DSW and the city has fallen on deaf ears and although the KZN Recycling Forum is supposed to be a collaborative venture between DSW and the citizenry.

“We have subsequently been informed by DSW that they do not have the time or resources to collaborate in the forum “until further notice”. We are still not sure what this means and DSW management and other officials we have approached in the city are unable to provide any clarity on this,” said Whyte.

Whyte has reiterated that The KZN Recycling Forum remains an entity that is here to support and develop recycling across the City, and their doors will always remain open to hopefully continued collaboration with DSW and the City in the future.

“As a provincial arm of the National Recycling Forum, we have access to resources and all the Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO’s) to assist the re-establishment of the OB programme and increase the volumes of all packaging recycling such as to maximise diversion from landfill, create jobs in the city and enhance the development of the secondary materials processing industry,” he explained.

According to Whyte at its peak in 2016, the OB programme managed to collect 10 500 tons of materials which represents only 0.65 per cent recycling from source separation of the total waste going to landfill and the forum would want to see this achieve rates of closer to 10 per cent and that would create new jobs in the city.

“We believe this is achievable, but only through strong collaboration with all stakeholders, and the forum is here to assist,” he added.

Ongoing investigations

The Special Investigating Unit has confirmed an ongoing investigation into the orange recycling bag tender debacle. President Cyril Ramaphosa in September authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the alleged irregular award of a tender in a period around January 2014 for the supply of waste recycling bags (orange bags) to the eThekwini Municipality.

This investigation was going to look into alleged fraudulent and any related unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure, under performance or non-performance by contractors, and the conduct of directors of the company or companies involved in this tender.

ALSO READ: Durban residents urged to recycle, despite orange bag disruptions

According to reports a forensic investigation into the awarding of the R90m contract to supply orange recycling bags to the city, had been found to be fraught with irregularities during the tender process.

“The forensic investigation is now complete and the normal disciplinary process will be implemented,” said eThekwini spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela.

According to SIU’s head of communications, Nazreen Pandor, the investigation started in October and the municipality has been cooperative.

Recycling entities like KHBA feel DSW and the municipality has kept them and residents in the dark about the recycling programme.

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