Waste bins: More than just an awful smell says business owners
Business owners complain that overfilled and smelly waste bins are not only unpleasant, but also create a criminal hub.
POLOKWANE – Business owners along major shopping centres in the CBD and the taxi centre say they are subjected to overfilled and smelly bins in front of their shops, which negatively affect business.
The initial complaint came from a business manager operating in the area who says there is only one allocated bin which is not enough to carry the rubbish volumes of those who trade in the area.
The businesswoman says that she appreciates that the municipality collects the rubbish daily, but that there is often food scraps that remain in the bins.
“The bin is being used by the formal businesses in the area but the hawkers also need a place to dispose of their leftover food and they are forced to use the same bin. After a couple of days, however, a terrible smell eminates from the bins. When the municipality comes to collect the trash they don’t necessarily throw out the rubbish but rather pick it up with another truck and there is always leftover rubbish in the bin.”
She says this is not a conducive environment in which to make and sell food.
The area in general is dirty and untidy in the morning as the homeless people in the area pick around the dustbin in the evenings and early mornings to try and find something to eat or resell.
One hawker in the area says as much as they are the ones who dispose of the food items in the bin they only do it because there is no alternative dustbin or dumping area for them to use.
“My stall is right next to the dustbin. If we start cooking in the morning, by the time for lunch the bin is already filled to the brim and the smell becomes pungent. Because I run a food business, this has caused a decline in the sales and I have had to throw away more food as well. We even tried to put the food in plastic bags before we throw it away but it doesn’t really make a difference.”
DA councilor Jacques Joubert says residents should feel free to contact them if they are having any issues with municipal service delivery. He says they have a designated Telegram channel for all the complaints. “We have received multiple complaints relating to dustbins in the area and the CPF has tried to escalate the matter because there are criminals who pose as refuse collectors and recyclers. Sometimes there are stolen items that are retrieved from the bins.”
Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala says it is possible to allocate another skip container if there is adequate space to place these on the pavement.
He says that there is always an assistant who travels with each grab truck to clean the waste remnants on the ground, but the municipality will intensify its monitoring and supervision in terms of trash that is left behind.
“In the CBD we use skip containers on the pavement with holes at the bottom to drain water and prevent rusting of the bin. We have 240 litre bins manufactured from plastic and that can retain water. All bins need to be cleaned and disinfected at certain intervals. Occasionally, the ground surfaces are also disinfected with a chemical to suppress the bad odour.”
He says the businesses can also assist the office by reporting such cases on (015) 023 5496/5481.
