No more space for dumping in Joburg

The City of Johannesburg has warned that it is running out of space at its landfill sites, and risks hitting an ultimate disaster point in six years if nothing is done, EWN has reported.

The City is implementing mandatory recycling from July 1, in what was initially reported in The Citizen as being a drive to “win the war against pollution and safeguard the environment”.

Now it seems that rather than general concern for the environment, the City is motivated by the very real threat of running out of dumping space altogether if Johannesburg residents don’t soon make recycling their primary form of waste disposal.

The Robinson Deep landfill site in Johannesburg has just three years left until it reaches capacity, according to The City of Joburg.

READ MORE: Recycling to become mandatory in Joburg starting July 1

In an interview on Radio 702, a reporter expressed concern that if drastic measures are not taken, household refuse would have to be transported by train to landfill sites in Mpumalanga, with ratepayers having to shoulder the burden of the costs for this.

From July 1, Joburg residents will be compelled to separate rubbish from recyclable material.

EWN reporter Mia Lindeque said in the 702 interview that the situation was dire and residents needed to change the way they thought about separating their rubbish.

“If you just keep on chucking it all in that black bag, then we are going to run out of space, and that is going to have a serious impact on the City. Because dumping sites will move closer and closer to residential areas,” said Lindeque.

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