Councillor addresses orange bag collection issues
Ward 64 residents are advised to contact the councillor for collection as an interim solution.
COLLECTIONS for the orange recycling bags in ward 64 are hampered by a number of issues.
Residents are advised to either dispose of them at the Garden Refuse Site on Glanville Road or send the councillor, Gavin Hegter, a WhatsApp.
This interim solution comes after a growing number of residents voiced their frustrations over uncollected bags.
“The situation is a nightmare. The sorting out of the waste is outsourced to various companies. The city has contractors who are tasked with collection, but the process is in shambles,” he said.
It was so bad, Hegter added, that at some point that the city even ran out of orange bags.
“It has not been going well since then and the city is trying to reinstate the programme. A new contractor was appointed to our area, but not all collections get done because he said that he does not know the area that well.”
“The issue is not just in our area, my colleagues throughout the city are dealing with the same issue. But we are working on it, I’ve spoken to DSW about getting it up and running properly,” he said.
Another challenge was the issue of unseparated waste from recyclables. Compounded with sorting out recyclables, collectors had to separate and bag waste themselves.
“They would be left with rubbish that DSW did not want to collect, but instead wanted them to dispose of it at landfills. The situations is complex with no straight answers.”
“In the meantime, residents can drop their orange bags off at the Garden Refuse Site on Glanville Road or send me a message including their street name and I will try to get a contractor to collect them.”
“It does become difficult when the city does not play its role. The city has plans to be Africa’s most caring and liveable city by 2030, but how can that be when the basics are not running smoothly?”
Spokesperson for the municipality, Msawakhe Mayisela, said as before, the city is still committed to the Kerbside Recycling Project.
“The project has had some hurdles in the distribution and collection in some parts of the city, which have since been resolved and the backlog is being attended to.”
“Residents are encouraged to continue to recycle and reduce waste to ensure that waste is diverted from waste landfill sites. We apologise for the inconvenience,” he said.
Call or WhatsApp ward the 64 councillor, Gavin Hegter on 072- 821-1917.
