Despite cold, overcast conditions, volunteers from Skoon Heidelberg continued their environmental cleanup efforts on May 7, focusing on an old, abandoned building site in Apsey Street that has become a hotspot for illegal dumping.

The clean-up forms part of the group’s ongoing weekly initiative, as Skoon Heidelberg meets every Thursday to coordinate and carry out clean-up operations across identified problem areas in the town.

Volunteer member Charlotte Cloete said the site’s condition was concerning but reaffirmed the group’s commitment to its weekly efforts.

“It is painful to see an old building area being turned into a dumping ground, but we cannot ignore it. Even in difficult weather, we continue because our community deserves clean and safe surroundings. Between 08:00 and 09:00, we worked through the heavily littered area, removing 37 black bags of rubbish from the site, which volunteers described as severely neglected and in poor condition.

Further up Apsey Street, two female volunteers from the group also tackled an open area where they collected an additional 13 black bags of waste,” she said.

Cloete also added that the group will continue meeting every Thursday to target problem areas and encourage residents to take responsibility for keeping Heidelberg clean.

“We appeal to the public to support the ongoing weekly clean-up efforts by avoiding illegal dumping and reporting offenders, because consistent community participation is key to long-term change,” she said.