IN recent years, a collaborative project to uplift Whynotte Park on Umhlanga Rocks Drive has taken shape.

Involving various role-players, including local businesses and Enviro Fixers Durban North to name a few, the project has uplifted the area.

Now a new initiative targeting littering, in particular the discarding of glass bottles due to drinking in public, is well underway.

With that in mind, a new trolley, sponsored by MaxProp Holdings, was unveiled last week which will service the park once a week, with the hopes to increase the footprint in the area with more support from local businesses.

It’s all part of the Adopt-A-Trolley initiative run by NPO Adopt-a-River, which sees a dedicated worker help with localised cleaning and greening solutions, also with the aim of recycling.

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In the last two years, a dedicated trolley has patrolled parts of the area, including Riverside Road, the Broadway precinct, the promenade at Blue Lagoon and now, Whynotte Park.

The trolley, which is a custom-made bicycle, with a Tufbag or bulk bag attached to the back, is a great way to tackle litter.

Durban North resident and founder of the Adopt-A-River, Janet Simpkins, explained how she hoped the project would expand.

“I think there has been a positive response to the trolley and the initiative and the support from all the roleplayers has made this initiative incredibly successful since we started patrols. We’ve been fortunate as this is our third trolley and the Parkhill Bowling Club have stepped up to help us not only with storing the trolley but also with recycling glass bottles.

“It is purely because of the funding from MaxProp that this project is targeting this park and we hope for it to expand to more than just one day a week. Recycling is a big part of this project and I think this also highlights the problem of public drinking in the park. A lot of the waste here is glass, but there are other items littered across the park. We wouldn’t be able to do this alone and it’s through working with different organisations that we can make a difference,” she said.

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Allan van der Veen, group managing director of MaxProp Holdings, whose company has sponsored the dedicated trolley for the area, has welcomed the move.

“Aside from being a businessman I’m also a property owner in the area. I’ve seen first hand how bad the problems, especially with pollution and littering, have gotten. I think the Adopt-A-Trolley initiative is a great concept because not only does it create employment, it also helps clean up the environment,” he said.

If you would like to support the initiative, contact Adopt-A-River or Enviro Fixers via their respective Facebook pages.

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