SOLID WASTE

• The main impact in terms of solid waste was identified as the percentage of population without access to regular refuse removal services. Problem areas exist to the west of Orange Farm, including the Kapok and Hopefield settlements, where 71-100% of the population do not have access to waste removal services. Illegal dumping takes place at the intersection of the R553 and R551 near Palm Springs, and litter and refuse poses health problems to residents in the area.
• East of Ennerdale in the Weilers Farm area, no refuse removal exists and illegal dumping takes place.
• Although regular refuse removal takes place in Orange Farm, Ennerdale, Poortjie and Lenasia, illegal dumping still takes place in all open spaces and informal settlements in the area. Refuse is collected on a daily / weekly basis in the residential areas by means of wheeled bins, bin liners or bin bags, and it is the responsibility of the contractors to also remove any litter and illegal dumping in their area.
• South of Lenasia at the Lawley settlement, irregular refuse removal to up to 100% of the population, together with illegal dumping causes solid waste problems.
• Southeast of Soweto at the Freedom Park / Goldev, and Bushkoppie / Slovo Park settlements, illegal dumping, irregular refuse removal, litter and bad location of rubbish bins in relation to waste sources causes solid waste problems, despite the Goudkoppies Landfill site being situated close by. In the rest of Soweto, the levels of service varies, and some problems exist in terms of illegal dumping in most open spaces, combined with irregular refuse removal services in areas like Naledi. To the northeast of Soweto illegal dumping and littering takes place in the Orlando and Diepkloof areas.
• In the far southeast of Greater Johannesburg, at the Eikenhof settlements and to the east, illegal dumping takes place along the Klip River system, mainly from illegal settlements. Littering and lack of refuse removal services causes solid waste pollution.
• In the Johannesburg CBD refuse is collected on a daily / weekly basis using 240 litre wheeled bins. Solid waste problems are still caused by informal traders and businesses in the area. This, combined with littering and illegal dumping in informal settlements and poor, overcrowded residential flats leads to waste problems. Traders and vendors on the streets of Johannesburg, combined with the city’s narrow and overcrowded sidewalks cause major problems with street sweeping and the control of littering.
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Waste (in tonnes) collected in the Inner City per month.

Solid waste (in tonnes) collected by contractors in the Inner City (January – December 1997).

*Average tons for the year and **Approximate values based on daily collection figures

Waste collected by the Council within the Inner City (May – July 1998).

Waste containers situated in the Inner City.

Types of waste from the Inner City of Johannesburg for 1994.

(Waste characterisation from the Inner City of Johannesburg (1994): Inner City Committee, 1998).