Do not rubbish this crisis
Pikitup admits it have not dealt with the problem.
First an energy crisis, then a water crises and now a waste management crisis looms.
The city will face a waste management crisis within five years due to the 6000 tons of waste generated daily by its residents.
A week before the Joburg waste summit Pikitup managing director Amanda Nair admitted that the service entity has been tardy in dealing with the problem.
Member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for environment and infrastructure services Matshidiso Mfikoe said the problem is due to a lack of land and that the city only have land in residential areas.
“Another landfill site will be the last resort,” said Mfikoe.
The MMC called on the public to change their behaviour and stop irresponsible waste generation and disposal. He said the public has to “acknowledge that waste management is an acute concern for each of us.”
The city has announced a waste minimisation strategy that includes separating waste at source in order to recycle, gas extraction plants to turn waste into gas, cooperatives to collect and recycle waste and supplying schools with a 1000 fixed recycling bins.
Johannesburg also faces an illegal dumping crisis which costs the city a R170 million a year. More than 200 000 tons of waste are illegally dumped annually.
