With 3,6 million residents generating between 5000 and 6000 tons of domestic and industrial waste per day, the City’s existing landfill sites are quickly nearing capacity. The largest portion of the Solid Waste Management’s R295,5 million capital budget is therefore spent on the development of landfills, integrated waste transfer stations and reducing waste volumes in the city.
As older landfill sites reach capacity, waste has to be transported further and further. New landfill sites have to be developed. Ageing refuse truck fleets also have to be renewed. These needs are driving up costs for the collection and disposal of waste. The City is driving a recycling effort to reduce waste, but unfortunately refuse collection is becoming more expensive.
In order to meet the increasing demands of waste removal in the fast growing city, residents will be paying 18% more for refuse removal, as from 01 July 2010 which is an average of about R13 more per month (incl. VAT) than last year.
A 35,8% increase for the disposal of large amounts of general waste, which amounts to an increase of about R70 per ton (incl. VAT), has been introduced in the 2010/11 budget. This increase covers the operating cost for building a new waste transfer station in Kraaifontein. This new transfer station will be able to process 960 tons of refuse per day. The increase will also make a liability provision for the cost of the future rehabilitation and closure of landfill sites that have reached capacity or end of their legal life.
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