Over the months, illegal dumping has become synonymous with Hawthorne Street in Fernwood.
However, on January 22, municipal workers cleaned up the affected area once again. Ward 3 Councillor, Matthew Shunmugam said; “My appeal to residents is to be on the lookout for defaulting residents and report them to the municipality. After all, they are spoiling the environment.”
In efforts to clamp down on dumping of rubble, the municipality erected ‘No dumping’ signs in affected areas. These include the veld across Dixon and Vittaria streets, Fernwood.
Offenders will be fined R750 should they be caught dumping illegally.
Below is a list of household items and the estimated time it would take to decompose:
Plastic bottles: 70-450 years
Plastic bag: 500-1000 years
Tin can: around 50 years
Leather shoes: 25-40 years
Thread: 3-4 months
Cotton: 1-5 months
Rope: 3-14 months
Cigarette: 1-12 years
Milk packet (tetra) covers and drink packets: 5 years
Nylon clothes: 30-40 years
Sanitary napkins and disposable diapers: 500-800 years
Glass bottles: 1 000 000 years
Hairspray bottle: 200-500 years
Fishing line: 600 years.
Aluminum can: 200 years
Information sourced from, https://www.down2earthmaterials.ie/decompose/
