Joburg City Parks and Zoo urges residents to not litter

Litter is an eyesore; impacts on the health of our loved ones as it attracts pests like rodents, mosquitoes and cockroaches; impacts on economic growth; takes away our civic pride; attracts further littering and dampens community spirit, leaving one with a sense of hopelessness.

Joburg is abuzz this time of the year.

Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) urge residents to keep parks litter-free this festive season, Joburg East Express reports.

With over 2,300 parks and approximately 10 000 hectares of green nature experiences, Joburg residents can enjoy the facilities.

“JCPZ had to use its already stretched resources to pick up piles of litter, especially after a public holiday or weekend,” JCPZ stated.

“Just as concerning are the number of users who visit the zoo who are still not disposing of the litter in the bins provided. This can be fatal for the animals if they ingest a packet or container.”

To increase awareness, JCPZ enhanced its anti-littering awareness campaign to impress on park and zoo users the need to value the environment and to encourage positive use. JCPZ urged users to take ownership and properly dispose of or recycle all litter.

“Litter is an eyesore; impacts on the health of our loved ones as it attracts pests like rodents, mosquitoes and cockroaches; impacts on economic growth; takes away our civic pride; attracts further littering and dampens community spirit, leaving one with a sense of hopelessness.

“The City of Joburg spends billions of rands annually in its efforts to keep our city clean. The environmental impact is dire as well, as rubbish dumped in wetlands, lakes and rivers running through green spaces harms the city’s biodiversity,” JCPZ stated.

As more people will be flocking to parks this holiday, JCPZ urged residents not to litter in parks and to obey all park safety by-laws. Transgressions can be reported to the Joburg Emergency Call Centre on 011 375 5911 or to the rangers on 011 472 6539.

“The cost to remove illegally disposed of litter and rubble invariably takes away from the city using these much-needed resources to build a more vibrant Joburg. JCPZ, as the custodians of parks and open spaces, will have litter-picking staff and emergency teams in place over the festive season; however, the onus is on users to keep these spaces clean and vibrant,” said Bryne Maduka, the managing director of JCPZ.

Read original story on joburgeastexpress.co.za

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