The metro announced that as of July 1 they will only collect refuse which is in wheelie bins.
The date was later changed to August 1, giving residents more time to collect their 240-litre wheelie bins at Customer Care Centres. Still, not everyone is complying and the metro is giving the residents more chance to collect the bins.
Metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe said: “This move to reschedule the commencement date serves as a grace period for residents who do not have a 240-litre wheelie bin to ensure they acquire it.
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“The 240-litre wheelie bins have been distributed to residents and remain available at all the metro’s waste management depots and selected Customer Care Centres for residents who have not collected theirs yet.”
Gadebe said the metro’s fleet of refuse trucks are fitted with an automated mechanism to pick up the bins and empty the refuse into the compactor.
“The metro is, therefore, urging all residents who missed the mass roll-out to collect their wheelie bins from the waste management depots and selected Customer Care Centres between Monday and Friday from 8am to 3.30pm.
“Residents must ensure they bring copies of their IDs and municipal account statements to collect the 240-litre wheelie bin.
“The bins are issued for free, while the refuse collection is charged at R174.41 per month for each bin.
“Residents who are in need of more than one bin may apply for such a bin, at an additional monthly charge,” Gadebe said.
Gadebe said residents who use the bins are urged to place them outside their homes at 7am on calendar days provided by the metro and take them back as soon as the collection is done.
According to Gadebe, there are many advantages of using the 240-litre wheelie bins, which include:
• Provide more storage capacity than the refuse bin used previously.
• They are compatible with the truck’s lifting mechanism, and thus workers do not have to carry bins on their back.
• Have a longer lifespan than a bag (approximately eight years).
• Minimises tearing of bags by rodents and stray dogs, and infestation of rodents.
• Are durable to utilise and easy to clean.
• Are easy to handle with low risk of being exposed to sharp objects.
• Do not generate the water vapour and are made of pest repellent material.
• They are cost-effective in that they do not require the continuous acquisition of refuse plastic bags.
• Promote uniform service standards and cleanliness of the metro.
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“In an instance where a resident loses their 240-litre wheelie bin, they need to report it and get a case number from the South African Police Service and take it to the nearest waste depot with a copy of the municipal rates account statement and an ID copy to get a new 240-litre wheelie bin,” concluded Gadebe.