KDM recycling initiative turned eye-sore ‘serves no purpose’

A recent project by KwaDukuza Municipality to encourage the public to recycle on-the-go by offering on-street bins appears to be a failure.

The municipality set up segregated litter bins at locations around Ballito and Salt Rock last month.

Each bin contains 4 compartments: paper, plastic, glass and general waste.

DA ward 22 councillor Privi Mahkan said the purpose was to encourage the responsible disposal of litter. 

“If we are to tackle this mammoth challenge of waste disposal through the correct channels, we need communities to come together and take responsibility for their environments and open spaces,” said Makhan. 

However, Dolphin Coast Conservancy chairperson and member of the KwaDukuza Landfill Committee, Di Jones said the recycling initiative appeared to be failing dismally. 

“Traditionally the municipality provides litter bins where all waste is mixed together.

Then later, at a depot, some of the recyclable material is plucked out and sent elsewhere.

While I applaud the sentiment behind the commissioning of these bins, the bins are serving no practical purpose.

They are taking up valuable space in our parking lots and are very unsightly.

No waste can be recycled unless it is clean and no waste coming up from beaches or taken off beaches is clean.

The bins also need to be serviced regularly which is not happening,” said Jones, who appealed to KDM to remove the bins.

She suggested a single bin for all recyclable materials may have more success, as people were not depositing the litter in the correct slots. 

“The contents are more likely to end up in a landfill than at a recycling plant, making this recycling initiative completely ineffective.”