GEORGE NEWS - illegal dumping is everybody’s problem. If you throw your junk just anywhere, it will eventually become your problem some way or another.
It can make you sick or kill you
- Dumped waste often contains poison, old medicine, broken glass and other dangerous things that children and animals are mostly likely to come across.
- Junk that lies in the sun develops poisonous gasses or bacteria that can cause diseases and infections and make you very ill or even kill you.
- Dump sites attract snakes and scorpions that can bite or sting you, and rats and insects that carry dangerous diseases.
- Junk inside or near rivers and wetlands releases bad stuff into the water that can make people downstream so sick they can die of dehydration and fever.
It can cause fires
- Layers of rubble lying in the sun can get so hot it can catch fire and spread to houses. Smoke and fumes from refuse fires can be harmful or even deadly.
It can stink the place up
- Throwing stuff into sewerage drains, or flushing the wrong stuff down the toilet, will clog pipes and the sewerage will overflow into your neighbourhood.
It can flood you out
- Throwing junk into stormwater drains will clog up the pipes and water will overflow onto your streets and property.
Illegal dumping wastes money
- Money that could have been used for your community is being wasted cleaning up illegal dumping sites.
Dumping sites bring your property value down
- If you own property near a dumping site it will be more difficult for you to sell it and will bring down its value.
You can go to prison
- If you get caught dumping or littering, you will be fined. If you can’t pay the fine, you can go to prison. Measures to catch illegal dumping at night, such as hidden cameras, are being considered.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Don’t litter
- Keep your food papers, cigarette butts and other waste with you until you get to a refuse bin and throw it inside the bin or until you get home to throw away in the right place.
Keep your rubbish at home until pick-up day
- Refuse is picked up in your neighbourhood once a week (see schedule below). Please put your waste inside refuse bags and keep at your house until collection day.
- Put garden waste in green bags so it can be collected separately and composted.
- Put refuse bags on the sidewalk outside your house by 7.30am on collection day.
- Please don’t put your bags out the night before to protect them from being torn open overnight.
Find your collection spot
- If you live in an area where large refuse trucks can’t get to your house, find out from your councillor or community where your closest drop-off spot is. Bakkies drive into these areas and collect from drop-off spots on collection day.
- If there isn’t a drop-off spot within quick walking distance, please ask your councillor to request Environmental Services to arrange for a site near you.
Close it up
- Try to close up your full refuse bags inside something solid with a lid, such as a strong cardboard box, wooden box or brick structure, to keep bad smells in and animals out.
Deal with the big stuff
- Building rubble and items that cannot fit inside a black bag must go to the municipal refuse site on the R102 (airport road). Make a plan with friends or neighbours to load your big stuff together to go drop off in one trip.
Dead animals
- Please do not put dead animals out with your bags or dump somewhere.
- The Garden Route SPCA will collect and dispose for a fee. Phone 044 878 1990.
- Report dead animals on the N2 to Sanral on 082 553 4878.
Report illegal dumping
- If you know who is dumping illegally, report them to 044 801 6350 or sprins@george.gov.za or 044 801 6300 (a/h).
- Information that will help the case for a warning or fine: car description and/or registration number, address of alleged perpetrator, type of waste and address of where it was dumped. A cellphone photo of dumping in action will help but is not essential.
- Report dumped waste for collection to 044 802 2900 or 044 801 6300 (a/h).
REFUSE REMOVAL DAYS
MONDAY: Blanco, Riverlea, Heatherpark, Heatherlands, Glen Barrie, Kraaibosch, Groenkloof, Blue Mountain Village, Herold's Bay, Victoria Bay, Rondevlei area (George side)
TUESDAY: Levallia, Rosemoor, Conville, Protea Park, Parkdene, Ballotsview, Borchards, Lawaaikamp, Thembalethu, Wilderness, Constantia Kloof, Kleinkrantz
WEDNESDAY: Camphersdrift, Fernridge, Denneoord, Bo-Dorp, Blommekloof, Tweerivieren, Hoogekraal, Hoekwil, Touwsranten farm areas
THURSDAY: Wilderness Heights, Dormehlsdrift, George South, Le Grand, Bos en Dal, Groeneweidepark, Sinksabrug, Herold, Geelhoutboom, Eselsjacht, Hansmoeskraal, Jonkershoek, Rooirivierrif, Pacaltsdorp, Rosedale, Waboomskraal, Touwsranten village
FRIDAY: Glenwood, Loerie Park, Eden George, Genevafontein, Denver Park, Bergsig, Eastern Extension
BUSINESSES: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
QUICK NUMBERS
- Report people who illegally dump to Law Enforcement: 044 801 6350 or 044 801 6300 (a/h).
- Report illegally dumped waste for collection to Environmental Services: 044 802 2900 or 044 801 6300 (a/h).
- Report dead animals for collection to SPCA: 044 878 1990
- Report dead animals on the N2 for collection to Sanral: 082 553 4878.
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