Pikitup Ballyclare garden refuse site remains closed

The Pikitup Ballyclare garden refuse site in Bryanston remains unable to accept garden waste after mounting refuse forced the facility to temporarily close on August 25.

The closure forced residents to seek alternatives, while questions grow over whether a lasting solution is being implemented. Pikitup had initially indicated that the facility was expected to reopen on August 31, after accumulated waste was cleared.

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However, on September 2, Pikitup spokesperson Anthony Selepe told the Sandton Chronicle that the site is still not open to receiving garden waste, but other types of waste are allowed. “The depot experienced breakdowns and had to divert vehicles to refuse collection rounds.

Efforts to clear the site are ongoing, and residents who seek to dispose of garden waste are requested to use the Linbro site,” Selepe said.

The continued closure follows months of warnings about the site’s capacity. Ward 103 councillor Lynda Shackleford first raised concerns in March, when the temporary closure of the Woodmead garden refuse site for renovations increased the pressure on Ballyclare.

When she returned to the site on August 25, Shackleford said little had changed. “I was on site here with the Sandton Chronicle in March, identifying that we had a big problem whereby the Pikitup Ballyclare garden refuse site was under growing pressure.

“Waste volumes increased following the temporary closure of the Pikitup Woodmead garden refuse site for renovations,” she said. “But guess what? Nothing was done.”

The situation has since deteriorated, with large piles of garden refuse accumulating around the site and a non-functional wood chipper adding to concerns about the facility’s ability to process incoming waste.

Also read: Bryanston garden refuse site remains closed despite reopening target

Shackleford said the problem went beyond the latest operational difficulties and pointed to what she described as a longstanding failure to properly manage and plan for the site. “There’s no proper management or proper plan for this garden refuse site,” she said.

According to Shackleford, Pikitup indicated in March that an active plan was being developed to address the growing volumes, but the promised intervention has yet to materialise.

Pikitup confirmed that the plan included the use of a shredding machine, but Selepe said financial constraints had prevented the machine from being provided. The existing wood chipper is also out of operation, with Selepe saying it was difficult at this stage to estimate when it would become available again.

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For residents and landscaping businesses in the area, the continued closure means travelling to alternative facilities.

Pikitup has advised those needing to dispose of garden waste to use its Linbro Park garden refuse site while the Ballyclare facility remains unable to receive garden refuse. Shackleford said the situation was becoming increasingly difficult to justify, given the importance of the site to the Sandton community.

“It is now five years later. What is the plan for one of the most important garden refuse sites for the residents of Sandton?” she asked. She also criticised residents and construction companies that dump waste outside the facility, saying illegal dumping was compounding an already strained system.

Pikitup, meanwhile, has stressed that waste management is a shared responsibility.

Selepe said the entity cannot keep the City of Johannesburg clean alone, and called on residents to help prevent illegal dumping and report offenders to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.

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