Hazardous waste discarded haphazardly
Let this serve as a warning: Hazardous waste is a health risk. Find out how to dump hazardous items responsibly.
Hazardous waste discarded in an inappropriate way or in a public space can have dire consequences.
That’s why resident Peter Strehler got furious when he found 20 fluorescent light tubes have been discarded in a normal, municipal waste bin in Steinmann Road. He posted photos of his sighting to facebook, livid that residents and Pikitup could allow this to happen.
The haphazard discard of the tubes at first seem normal. Research it and one would find fluorescent light tubes or bulbs contain a small amount of mercury which helps convert energy into visible light via a fluorescent substance. If the tubes, especially broken, are discarded near people it can have as an effect dramatic weight loss and skin rashes, as mercury is poisonous. It is also considered harmful for children, whose brains are still developing.
Peter said he was scared for mercury gas poisoning and got in contact with a car dealership and church in the nearby vicinity of where the tubes were discarded. While the dealership told him they follow a policy in discarding any and all waste, the church had not responded. A number publicly listed for the church reaches an automated voice prompt, which says the number is not in service.
“What’s more disturbing is that the church runs a school for children on that campus, which is about 150 metres from the waste bin,” Strehler told the Record.
According to Section 11 of Pikitup’s Waste Management Guidelines, “The most common hazardous waste is fluorescent lights, containing mercury oxide.”
“Hazardous waste must be collected and stored in a safe manner, to prevent pollution, then disposed of at a hazardous waste disposal site.”
Other items Pikitup consider hazardous include flammable or explosive materials, auto parts and tyres and animal carcasses.
To be advised on how to discard of your hazardous waste, contact Pikitup’s Roodepoort depot on 087 357 1549.
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