Boost to Recycling
NDLAMBE is going to move to the two-bag system for household refuse, to promote recycling.
This will come as good news to environmentally-conscious residents who have faithfully deposited their recyclable refuse in bins at the Heritage Mall parking lot and the Kenton Spar parking lot since containers for glass, plastic and tins were placed there several years ago.
But residents were perturbed when the bins for tins and plastic were removed before the December holidays.
Mark Price, project manager of the Masohlule Project - Integrated Waste and Recycling Service (IWARS), explained he had been asked to remove the bins by the management of the shopping centres, because of abuse by some people who dumped all sorts of garbage in the recycling containers.
Price said IWARS was now ready to implement the two-bag system.
Residents in all areas are asked to buy black bags for normal (unrecyclable) garbage and clear bags (available at D&A Timbers in Port Alfred and Kenton) for recyclables - plastic bags, plastic bottles, paper, cardboard and tin.
"But please don't put glass in the bags,” said Price.
"If glass is put into the bag it will be smashed and we'll have to throw the whole bag away.”
Glass can still be deposited in the recycling bins at the Heritage Mall parking lot and the Kenton Spar parking lot.
He also asked that nothing wet and no food stuffs be placed in the clear bag.
The Masohlule Project is a cooperative partnership with Makana and Ndlambe municipalities and was made possible with EU funding through the Thina Sinako provincial local economic development support programme.
"Makana is further along than we are on this project,” said Price.
"It's about job creation,” he said, explaining that the people who eke out an existence sifting through refuse at the dump now had the opportunity to earn a wage.
"The reclamation centre at the landfill site is complete. IWARS has employed people at the dump to do the sorting,” he said.
The two bag system will help these workers to identify the recyclables quickly instead of scratching through other rubbish.
"It makes it safer to work with,” said Price.
He said control at the dump was also much better. In addition to the reclamation building there is a weigh station, to weigh loads of refuse and recyclables. All was paid for though Thina Sinako and the municipality.
"Where we were short Ndlambe made up the difference,” said Price.
"Ndlambe gets a lot of flak, but the municipality is fully supportive of this project – they want it to work.”
Residents should put their clear and black bags out the same day they normally do for refuse collection.
"In future we'll announce where bulk containers for cardboard will be set up – things that can't fit in a plastic bag,” said Price. 
"We thank the public for being patient. I had so many calls when those bins were moved away (from Heritage Mall and Kenton Spar). It shows how aware people are about recycling.”
Jon Houzet