City Uses Recyclable Waste to Beautify Converted Dumping Spots
A partnership with the community is putting disposed tyres and building rubble to good use, while also converting illegal dumping spots into useful spaces.
The City’s Department of Environmental Resources and Waste Management Services provides old tyres and building rubble to members of the community upon request to convert illegal dumping spots into spaces that can be used to, for instance, run car wash businesses or mini-parks.
These old tyres and the building rubble comes from the City’s landfill sites, and are delivered to the specified area as requested.
Mandisa Phosa, Divisional Head of Waste Management Services said the City-wide initiative is aimed at involving the community in the fight against illegal dumping, and at the same time encourages residents to start small businesses.
Sipho Buthelezi (36) is among the beneficiaries of the initiative, and runs a car wash and chisanyama business at the corner of Ndaba and Tokyo streets in Tsakani. The space was once an illegal dumping spot.
“This place is positioned next to a busy road and used to be covered in dirt, I saw a gap and wanted to develop it into something commercial. That is how I started the car wash business in 2016. There was construction work going on in the vicinity at that time. I asked the ward councillor for assistance to get tar to use as paving on my spot for neatness. We then decided to add food sales to our customers while they wait for their cars,” Buthelezi said.
Members of the community who are interested in starting a small business on open spaces that are currently illegal dumping spots and in need of assistance, in the form of rubble to pave their space or old tyres for decoration ,can contact the City’s Waste Management Services officials on the below contact details.
- Thembisa / Kempton Park – 011 999 4310
- Katlehong/Vosloorus, Thokoza – 011 999 0979
- Daveyton, KwaThema, Tsakani, Duduza – 011 999 8458
