Plumstead has introduced a new initiative to employ and monitor waste pickers to improve neighbourhood safety and streamline recycling efforts.
The programme, titled ‘Operation Dirt Bin Recyclers,’ was launched on 21 November through a collaborative effort between local police, Plumstead Security Service Providers (SSP) and the Plumstead Neighbourhood Watch (PNW).
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As per People’s Post, Gary Klugman, the chair of the PNW, outlined the process:
Waste pickers in the area will undergo vetting by the police to ensure they have no criminal records or outstanding warrants.
Once cleared, each recycler will receive an identifiable bib, name tag and ID photo, granting them unimpeded access to recycling packaging from residents’ wheelie bins.
The project, expected to conclude by the end of January, aligns with the increased demand for police intervention during the festive season.
By this deadline, each recycler will be equipped with a standard recycling trolley.
Police, law enforcement, SSPs and PNW patrollers will ask those without the necessary identification or trolley to vacate the area.
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This initiative aims to deter criminals posing as recyclers, thus enhancing community safety. Sergeant Ashley Adonis, spokesperson for Diep River police, confirmed this strategy.
Regenize, a recycling collection service, urges public support for waste pickers, highlighting their critical role in driving South Africa’s recycling rate to 7.5%.
According to People’s Post, Regenize describes waste pickers as people who ‘earn their living through scavenging from the disposal of goods, waste and general garbage produced by formal dwellings.’
In addition, a memorandum from Rustim Keraan, Solid Waste Management Director, dated 25 August 2021, underscores the financial benefit waste pickers bring, saving municipalities around R700 million annually in collection and disposal costs.
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