Covid-19: Waste collection essential during lockdown

The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) has announced its support of the continuation of waste collection, processing and effective disposal during the impending lockdown period. As South Africans prepare to stay indoors for the next three weeks, waste generation at home is projected to increase.

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“Continuing public waste management is essential; waste generation will increase at household level, while it will decrease at a business level. Household waste collection is an essential service and should continue within all municipalities," says Leon Grobbelaar, president at the IWMSA. “Non-removal of waste will have devastating consequences on communities due to the spread of other diseases, including from fly and/or rodent infestations.”

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'Be mindful of your waste generation'

“We fully support the president in his decision to implement a countrywide lockdown. We would like to encourage all South African citizens to be mindful of their waste generation during this period. Municipal and private waste services will be operating with skeleton staff and we should therefore not overburden them with increased and mixed waste volumes,” says Grobbelaar.

“Potentially contaminated waste streams could have detrimental health effects for all the thousands of waste reclaimers residing illegally on our 1000-odd landfill sites within South Africa,” says Grobbelaar.