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Driven by the impending crisis of limited landfill space, Johannesburg City has been forced to take action, according to a recent statement released by them. They said, “ In an effort to win the war against pollution and safeguard the environment, the City of Johannesburg will roll out a phased approach to make separation at source mandatory from July 1 for households,”
Residents have been urged to comply with the new recycling project, requiring them to wash recyclables and separate them from other waste into clear bags provided by the city. The city has given residents breathing room to get their recycling in order, and are not penalising non-compliance at the moment with fines or anything else. MMC for Environmental affairs, Nico de Jager, said recently in an interview with BusinessTech, “By mandatory, we mean that it will be compulsory, and through the initial stages we will do education campaigns and issue warning letters to get residents to participate.”
You can find Pikitup’s guide for the separation at source program on their website.
According to a recent article by EWN, a mere 10% of the city’s waste ends up in recycling plants, and they city’s target is to increase that figure to at least 30%.
With increased awareness of the negative impact on the environment caused by waste and the lack of recycling, residents are welcoming this move and pledging their support to the cause.
A waste picker is seen in the Robinson Deep landfill site in Johannesburg. The site has a maximum of 3 years left until it reaches capacity. From 1 July Johannesburg residents are compelled to separate their garbage from recyclable material in an effort to avoid reaching this point. Picture: Christa Eybers/EWN