Cape Town: The Law Enforcement Unit has issued fines to 980 people in the last quarter of the year 2023 from October to December for not managing the waste properly.
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management department by law enforcement unit is relentless in its efforts to maintain cleanliness and uphold waste management regulations across the city over the festive period.
A total of 980 fines were issued from October to December 2023 totals to R1,257,000 for various offences including littering, illegal dumping and business failure to comply with the requirement to develop integrated waste management plans.
Reportedly, the operations were conducted at strategic locations including Mitchells Plain Town Centre, Elsie River, Westlake Taxi Rank, Cape Town CBD and Bellville CBD.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Waste Management – Alderman Grant Twigg, said, “I commend this unit for their dedication over the previous year. Their devotion is reflected in the increasing number of fines being issued for littering, dumping and other waste management violations.”
“I am hopeful that all those who were fined will now think twice before disposing waste illegally again,” said Alderman Grant Twigg.
Businesses were reminded that in terms of City’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) by Law, they are required to submit an IWM plan for consideration and approval by the City.
Notably, the IWM plan must include:
- An assessment of the quantity and type of waste
- Description of the waste services required to store, collect, transport and dispose of the waste
- Plan to separate recyclable and non-recyclable material at the point of source
- A Waste Minimisation Plan
- A Pollution Prevention Plan
- Details of the potential environmental impact of the waste
- The type or characteristics of environmentally sensitive waste
- Amount of natural resources consumed in the manufacturing or production process that result in waste
- Targets for recovery of waste – minimisation, re-use and recycling
- Programmes and targets to minimise the consumption of natural resources
- Plan for reducing organic waste that has been sent to landfills by 100% by 2027
Also, any failure to comply with the requirements will be considered a violation of the IWM by-law and will result in a fine.