The City of Cape Town has opened a new solid waste drop-off facility at Spine Road in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, which will reduce the extent of illegal dumping in the surrounding areas.
The R6 million Spine Road drop-off project was funded by the City’s Urban Renewal and Solid Waste Departments, and will accept garden and garage waste, builders’ rubble and recyclables such as plastic, steel, glass and bottles.
It will also seek to boost environmental health and education, stimulate the local economy, and ensure that more waste is diverted from Cape Town’s landfills.
The five-hectare facility is situated next to the City’s Waste Water Treatment Works plant, on land which was used as an informal recycling plant. It became neglected and was used as a dumping site until complaints from residents about health hazards such as pests and odours led to the City’s intervention.
Over a period of two years, the City purchased the land, obtained Environmental Impact Assessment approval, conducted public participation processes with the surrounding communities, secured a budget and commenced construction.
The new facility was officially opened by Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille, on 23 August 2012. She said the project forms part of the City’s redress programme and is the first such drop-off site in a previously disadvantaged area.
“This is no ordinary waste dumping site. It offers the twin benefits of providing for the recycling of steel, glass and bottles. Given that it will run through a community-based project, it will prioritise local residents for job opportunities.
“There will also be a buy-back centre at the site where members of the public and waste management businesses can sell their waste for recycling, creating further economic opportunities,” she said.
The site will host training sessions for school learners, youth groups, local waste businesses and the general public on waste management and minimisation, with the aim of raising awareness about the negative impact of illegal dumping on the environment.
“Currently, a number of open spaces in poorer communities have become makeshift dumping sites because of the spread of illegal dumping. The consequences of this are far-reaching. It contaminates the environment. It exposes communities to avoidable health hazards. It creates unsafe public spaces where criminal activities thrive.
“We want to change this. As part of our broader efforts to build a caring city, we want to build clean communities through the provision of adequate waste facilities like this throughout the metro,” the Executive Mayor said.
She also called for the assistance of the community, saying the City depends on residents to care enough about the environment they live in to report illegal dumping to the authorities, and to make use of the available waste facilities.
“We want our communities to be safe and healthy for our children to play freely,” she added.
