Litter is a large-scale issue in our country, and the City of Cape Town is continually working to solve the problem. On Wednesday, the City set up new public litter bins around the Site C Plaza shopping centre in Ikwezi Park.
The bins are intended for pedestrians who have waste such as chip packets and cool drink cans. People often just leave the litter on the street if there are not proper facilities to help dispose of the rubbish.
The City has said that there are plans for 28 litter bins to be installed along Solomon Tshuku Street, iDada Street and Maphongwana Street.
The areas chosen for the bins are selected based on where there is heavy flow of pedestrians, such as shopping areas and public transport facilities.
Alderman Grant Twigg, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, specifies that the bins are intended for pedestrian use and not for households or businesses.
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Options for households include the municipal refuse services provided, and businesses have waste management plans in place in compliance with the City’s Integrated Waste Management By-law.
Twigg says: “Improper use of green litter bins in other areas has led to complaints about these bins, and eventually bins being removed as they were constantly overflowing with household and business waste from surrounding areas.”
He added that the bins promote anti-littering messaging and are planned to be emptied on a daily basis by teams in the area.
“I want to encourage each and every person to participate in litter clean-up and let’s demonstrate what can be done when we take pride in our neighbourhoods.”
“If you can’t dispose of your rubbish right away, bag it and keep it with you until you can find a nearby bin. To maintain the cleanliness of our communities, we must all play a part,” Twigg continued.
He also raised the important point that, besides the negative visuals of littering, it also increases the chances of flooding.
“Litter is commonly washed or thrown into storm drains where it creates blockages that cause floods during the next big downpour,” Twigg added.
The hope is that the new bins will help prevent or reduce flooding next winter if used correctly by residents.
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Picture: City of Cape Town