More frequent municipal garbage collection in Dunoon is having a positive impact on the community, say residents.

At the end of August, the City said it would pilot a six-month project to up refuse removal in the area from once to three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as a way to curb rife illegal dumping there.

The project started on Monday September 2.

Illegal dumping was linked to overcrowding in the area and had ramifications for community health and the environment, said mayoral committee member for urban waste management Grant Twigg.

While Dunoon properties qualified for one subsidised bin collection per household once a week, many properties had been “informally subdivided” over the years, which meant a single bin for each property could not contain the waste from several, mostly backyarder, households, said Mr Twigg.

The City would assess the pilot project after six months to see if should be continued or expanded elsewhere, he said.

Resident Pamela Somdaka said her children had been able to walk to the park without having to dodge rubbish dumped on the pavement.

“This is not just a health issue; it’s also a safety thing. Our children have to step off the pavement and walk on the road to avoid this rubbish and could get hit by a car.”

While the project had started off well for the first few days, “some people's bad habits took over, and we saw rubbish again. But it was not to the level we are used to. So this is working”.

Abel Nkosi said: “I want to thank the City for this project. It is helping, and we, the community, need to meet them halfway. I am not saying that this project has completely stopped the dumping, but the community is looking cleaner than before.

“I know we want to live in a place with zero dumping, but we must take it one step at a time. Our fellow residents have to come to the party too. As a community, we can rally each other and call out those that continue to dirty our neighbourhood.”

Mr Twigg said the community could help the City fight illegal dumping by only using the increased refuse-collection service.

“Everyone has a part to play in keeping their area clean; so let's work together to make a big difference in Dunoon to benefit the community,” he said.

This is what the park in Thandabantu Road used to look like.

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