Refuse collection delays expected in areas serviced by Mitchells Plain and Woodstock Collections Depots

21 May 2020

Residents are asked to please bear with us as COVID-19 mitigation measures, especially in the case of a confirmed infection amongst our staff, will have an impact on service delivery from time to time. The City has contingencies in place to ensure that operations and service delivery continue as far as possible, while ensuring the health and safety of our staff during this time, as well as the health and safety of the public we serve.

The City would like to inform residents who live in areas serviced by the Collections Depots in Mitchells Plain and Woodstock that they can expect delays in their refuse collection over the coming days.

The Mitchells Plain Collections Depot closed yesterday, Wednesday 20 May 2020, and the Woodstock Collections Depot was closed on Monday 18 May 2020.

Two staff members have tested positive at the Woodstock Collections Depot and one staff member has tested positive at the Mitchells Plain Collections Depot. (Two of the staff were office-based, and one staff member was part of the refuse removal crew). As a result of the positive cases of COVID-19, the facilities need to be/remain closed for approximately the next three days until deep cleaning and disinfecting have been completed. This includes disinfecting the facilities and vehicles.

We wish our staff members all the best with their recovery and we are thinking of them and their families during this time.

Those who have been in close contact with the staff members are being required to self-quarantine.

The City is concerned about not only the health but general wellbeing of our staff, and management is checking in regularly with staff members who have tested positive. They are also communicating with their close contacts to advise on the way forward in terms of quarantining, testing/screening.

Services in affected areas should be able to resume from next week.

Residents who live in the affected areas (as per the schedules below) are requested to please bring their bins back onto their properties and only bring them out on the next scheduled removal day.

Excess refuse that cannot fit in the wheelie bins can be bagged and placed next to the bin for removal. Residents are implored not to resort to illegal dumping if collection delays cause refuse to build-up to the point where it cannot fit in the wheelie bins.

Mitchells Plain Collections Depot areas affected:

Woodstock Collections Depot areas affected:

Should there be any changes, further updates will be communicated using the City’s social media platforms. Sub-councils are also being notified. Any inconvenience is sincerely regretted.

Reminder: COVID-19 mitigation guidelines for domestic waste disposal:

The City of Cape Town’s Solid Waste Management Department requests that all residents adhere to the guidelines for disposal of their domestic waste to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These guidelines are aligned to national and provincial guidelines and exist to curb the spread of the coronavirus to the refuse collection staff and others.

1. Please ensure all waste items that have been in contact with individuals who have COVID-19 or who suspect they have been infected, are disposed into a separate container. This specifically refers to used tissues, wipes and other disposables.
2. This waste should be double-bagged.
3. Please retain this waste on the property for at least five days before placing it out for collection in the bin.
4. Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.
5. Please wash hands after handling the bin and sanitise the lid if possible to prevent this from becoming a site of transmission for the disease.
6. Please respect social distancing conventions when interacting with Solid Waste staff.

How to make more space in your bin:

• Residents are encouraged to stockpile their clean, dry recyclables until the City’s drop-off facilities reopen for public access. These facilities remain closed to the public in line with the national lockdown regulations and efforts to slow the rate of virus transmission. Recyclables are often bulky in nature and take up valuable space in your bins. The added volumes also place pressure on the refuse collection services.
• Residents with no more space to stockpile their recyclables and garden greens could consider the use of accredited private contractors for the collection of waste.
• Where possible, residents are encouraged to practice home composting, as this will allow further space in the bin during this period.

Bin care

• Please wash and disinfect your wheelie bin regularly, especially when placing it outside and when bringing it back inside
• Please retain and freeze any meat product (i.e. leftover food in the form of chicken, red meat, off cuts, etc.) until collection day before placing into the bin, so as to prevent the breeding of flies
• Store your bin in a cool place, avoiding direct exposure to the sun, to reduce/prevent flies breeding in your bin. It also helps to spray your bin with insecticide to restrict and inhibit the breeding of flies.
• Please remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling waste

If residents need to contact the City or submit a service request this can be done via the following channels: 

• Call 0860 103 089

• Online https://eservices1.capetown.gov.za/coct/wapl/zsreq_app/index.html

Residents should please always remember to take note of the reference number provided.

 
End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office