You shalt be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isaiah 58:12
How would you feel if you had to live next door to dumpsites stinking in the hot sun, attracting rodents and flies. Waste management is very complicated and faces lots of challenges.
The challenge today is for us to do what we can to understand the challenges communities face regarding waste management
Waste management is often “a tale of two cities” – let me share some of the challenges in Cape Town.
Waste pick up : in suburban areas waste is picked up on a weekly basis. If it is late then many people phone or email the City and the problem is sorted out. In informal settlements the waste pick up is often outsourced to smaller businesses, this means if it is not picked up it is difficult for people to know who to contact.
Bins – in suburban areas, each family has a wheelie bin. In many informal areas they either only get bags or the wheelie bin is used by several families which means it fills up too soon. Bin bags, if placed in front of your home attract rodents and flies, so people will leave them at a distance from their home. Once the rubbish is not picked up on time, the bags are torn open by dogs and rubbish spreads in the street.
Crime and violence – in some communities the city workers are not safe as they are at risk of being mugged for cell phones etc. There are also challenges when local communities have been promised jobs in the waste sector and they don’t receive them. Wheelie bins are also stolen from time to time.
Builders dump rubble in the community – so that they don’t have to pay to drop it far away – once the rubble is dropped, it forms a dump site and everyone starts dumping on top of it. Neighbours are scared to report this as they might be attacked.
Skips – these are sometimes used, but the sides are too high for children to reach over and so bags just get left next to the skip.
What other challenges do you see or know about?