In partnership with Swiss University ETH Zürich and Kimberly-Clark, Green Corridors, the NPO dedicated to environmental and social initiatives in Durban, earlier this year embarked on a groundbreaking project to address the pressing issue of dumped disposable nappies and other absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) such as panty-liners, wipes and sanitary pads in informal settlements.
“Disposable AHP’s which are designed to absorb fluid, are made from plastic and other materials, posing a significant environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradable nature,” explains Green Corridors Green Spaces Project Officer, Musa Shange. “Their improper disposal leads to environmental contamination and health hazards, including the spread of diseases. These products, especially nappies, also often cause blockages within sewerage systems, which can result in sewerage overflow and contamination of waterways.”
This Green Corridors initiative, known as the Inhlanzeko Bin Project aims to pilot an AHP collections system to lessen the impact of improperly disposed hygiene products on the community, environment and public health. The project has been rolled out in Johanna Road and Blackburn Village informal settlements, with trained community liaison officers participating in educating and guiding residents. In most informal and rural settlements, the ‘normal’ option for nappies disposal by residents is nearby open dumpsites.
Specialized nappy bins have been provided in selected locations, ablution blocks and creches in these settlements. The bins have been managed by the three part time employed community members in each community. They encourage residents to dispose of nappies safely, collect, check and weigh the bagged contents from the bins, and remove the bags to temporary storage containers, for weekly collection by CSW contractors and disposal at registered landfill sites.
The “nappy” bins are being trialled at the two settlements, and different methodologies for fostering change in disposing behaviour are being tested. This included providing incentives and training community field workers to conduct caregiver meetings, home visits, and creating online caregiver networks.
Three Swiss Master’s students, supervised by Dr. Marc Kalina from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich, have been responsible for designing and implementing the collection system. The locations for the bins were mapped out by Engineering student Timo Stutz. Another engineering student Dominik Huber, planned and helped design and install the network of bins and their management for his Master’s thesis. While a third Master’s student, Martin Mekkattu, has been responsible for optimising and evaluating the implemented collection system.
As community engagement and education plays pivotal roles in driving behaviour change, the programme has trained local fieldworkers, over a couple of years, who conduct home visits and host meetings to raise awareness about the importance of safe AHP disposal.
Communication tools such as WhatsApp messages, posters, and videos are being used to reinforce the message and engender personal responsibility.
Results show more than 1,000 kg of AHP waste collected monthly per community, with 93% purity of collected AHP waste.
“While challenges persist in applying integrated and effective waste management systems in Durban’s informal settlements, this Green Corridors project marks a positive step towards mitigating the AHP waste crisis in our informal settlements, alongside drives towards redesign for re-usable AHPs,” says Shange. “We hope that by providing a well-managed case study with solid data, it lays a foundation for informing future strategies for safe and environmentally-friendly AHP waste disposal.”
For more information or to become involved in the Green Corridors AHP project contact Musa Shange, musa@durbangreencorridor.co.za
