The City’s Urban Waste Management (UWM) Directorate will visit the City’s Sub-councils over the coming months to inform residents of the services on offer, to help them keep their communities cleaner.
The UWM Basket of Services Roadshow is planned to run between March and November 2023. Residents will have an opportunity to meet and interact with representatives from various UWM departments and address any questions or concerns. These departments include:
· Cleansing Services: Area cleaning, removal of illegal dumping and refuse collection in informal settlements
· Refuse Collection Services: Emptying the 240l wheelie bins on collection day, and running the Think-Twice recycling collection service in participating areas
· Waste Minimisation: Guiding the directorate on strategies to increase waste minimisation and helping to facilitate a circular economy in Cape Town
· Events and Partnerships: Support for community clean-up efforts and other partnerships
· Policy and Strategy: Strategic support, accreditation of waste management businesses, and approval of Cape Town businesses’ waste management plans
· By-law Enforcement: Waging the war on illegal dumping through enforcement of the Integrated Waste Management By-law
Roadshow stops:
The first two stops will be:
· Leonsdale Civic Centre (Sub-council 4) on Tuesday, 7 March
· Charles Morkel Community Hall (Sub-council 8)on Tuesday, 28 March
At least 19 additional stops are being planned. The details will be communicated once finalised.
‘Waste is a very important topic. Everyone generates waste. All the food, clothes or household items we buy eventually become waste, or they come in packaging that must be disposed of. The question is – what are we doing with our waste? Illegal dumping is one of the biggest problems city-wide, showing that waste is not being disposed of correctly.
‘For example, some residents don’t put their refuse out for collection each week, and instead, when bins get full, the contents are dumped on open land in the area, where it can create a health risk. Many residents are also unaware that the use of drop-offs is free for vehicles with a carrying capacity of less than 1,5 tonnes and instead needlessly dispose of waste at illegal dumping hotspots.
‘Through this roadshow, we want to hear from our residents what their issues and challenges are, and at the same time inform them about the services the City offers. Hopefully, this conversation will empower residents to help keep their communities cleaner.
‘We encourage residents to engage with our representatives on site around particular challenges their community might be struggling with, to see if there are any services or programmes which can assist,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
The roadshow will be supported by targeted invitations via social media to the hosting community in the days before the event.
