Dustbin diggers warned against dumping refuse bags after searching for recyclables

There are many ways to make a living in South Africa and one of them is digging through the dustbin to look for recyclables, such as plastic bottles or cupboard boxes.

Even though it is looked down upon, recycling is informal employment for many, and it puts food in the mouths of many who would otherwise have nothing to eat. However, it can be a potential health risk to waste diggers themselves and other members of the public.

Just recently, a refuse bag containing veterinary hospital waste was strewn next to a tree on Kalkoentjie Street, in Brackenhurst.

Some of the packaging was labelled Brackenhurst Veterinary Hospital; the Alberton Record contacted the vet for comment.

“We, as a veterinary hospital, are allowed by the municipality to throw away our syringes and other waste into the dustbin for disposal and we get charged extra for that, more than a normal household pays for rubbish removal,” said Kelly Rae who is a practice manager at the Brackenhurst Veterinary Hospital.

“But the problem is that waste diggers open up these refuse bags without realising what is inside. We urge them to be careful when searching for recyclables and not to dump them all over the place,” added Kelly.

“There is suspicion that, since there are other veterinaries and doctors who operate around the Brackenhurst area, this makes it a fertile ground and target for people who are looking to search these refuse bags in the hopes of getting needles, which are suspected to be utilised for drugs use. This is not only dangerous; it is a health risk to those who do so,” commented Kelly.