The Chief Executive Officer of Pikitup, Christa Venter, has advised that the waste management entity has reached an agreement with waste-pickers in Roodepoort, in order to mitigate the structural and territorial disputes between the two stakeholders.
According to Christa, Pikitup has drafted a document proposing ways in which the two groups can work together, and also plans to host a series of workshops aimed at training and upskilling the informal recyclers.
Initial Article: Waste pickers in Roodepoort plan to protest
“We met with the waste-pickers and their representatives last week. This was an attempt to prevent a demonstration which they had planned for Monday, 10 July 2017. We have given them a document which they have gone to review before our next meeting later this week.
For now, they have accepted our suggestions and have expressed their willingness to cooperate and work hand-in-hand with us, amid the programmes and plans that we have put in place to manage and curb waste in the city,” she said.
Christa went on to say the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research recently advised, in its Bin Pilot Study, that waste-pickers are collecting approximately 52kg of recyclable material each per day. Pikitup said it still plans to accelerate its Separation@Source programme, and has initiated other similar programmes with the goal of recycling and diverting approximately 73 000 tonnes of recycled waste per annum over the next five years.
Pikitup said it is also open to recommendations and suggestions from members of the public on how to improve the waste management entity’s operations in the city.
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