84 tons of waste collected in one month

By Tina George
21 December 2007

A total number of 84 tons of recyclable waste has been collected in November as part of the City of Cape Town’s recycling project.

The “Think Twice” project was first introduced in four main regions of the Cape Metropole – Southern Suburbs, Helderberg, Delft/Mfuleni and Phillipi.

“Wasteplan and Marthinus Waste was appointed to carry out the door-to-door service to a fifth test region making up 11 000 households in Pinelands, Bloubergstrand, Melkbosstrand,” says Acting Manager of collections for the City’s Solid Waste Department, Ncedo Mcani.

By the end of November, almost 48 000 kg of re-usable waste had been collected by houses in the West Coast suburbs and a further 35 000 kg from Pinelands.

“We’re really excited that we managed to get 84 tons just over one month and in particular the Pinelands area where we have over 3000 households participating,” says Ward Councillor for Pinelands and chairperson of the City’s Environmental and Planning Portfolio Committee.

Households in the zoned off areas are provided with information packs and free plastic bags to collect all types of refuse.

The refuse bags are collected separately by Wasteplan vehicles and then taken for sorting and re-processing.

“It’s the participation of the communities that has enabled us to collect this 84 tons, they have really become involved in the project and supported it,” says Watkins.

Atlantic Beach Golf Estate in Melkbosstrand has a participation rate of 80%, Pinelands 70% and Bloubergstrand area 61%.