September 9, 2002
By Mandisi Majavu
"DON'T trash the future" -- so goes the slogan of garbage disposal company Pikitup. And Pikitup's Panorama Composting Plant is making sure that that slogan becomes a reality.
The plant, located in Roodepoort, was initially a pilot project to be showcased at the World Summit on Sustainable Development "The goal is to process garden refuse into valuable compost in a sustainable manner," says Dick Mulder, manager of garden sites for Pikitup.
Mulder says garden refuse is generated from normal gardening activities, such as grass-cutting and the pruning of plants. At the compost depot, this refuse is shredded and put in rows called "windbrows" before being converted into compost. The process is purely organic, he says.
To protect the compost from odours and to prevent it blowing away on windy days, the refuse must be finely cut, put into windbrows, and moistened appropriately with water, says Mulder.
Apart from being environmentally sensitive, there are huge markets to be served. These include the agricultural and horticultural sectors, landscapers, garden services, golf courses and individual home-owners who can make use of the compost thus generated. Soil fertility is vital for sustainable development, he adds.
The plant receives its waste material from garden refuse sites, of which there are 51 across Johannesburg. At such sites, people getting rid of refuse tend to drop it off in plastic bags, or mixed with non-garden refuse, which, says Mulder, makes Pikitup's job more difficult.
But Pikitup will soon launch an awareness campaign to counteract this. It aims to inform and educate the public about separating garbage. "We are going to put educational adverts in newspapers and posters at garden refuse sites," says Mulder.
At the sites, refuse is separated by being put into different containers, and the site guard courteously directs people to the point at which the correct refuse should be left.
The opening hours are 7am to 5pm, seven days a week. A notice at the gate of each site informs people about the correct kind of refuse to be dropped there - for instance, no branches longer than 1m or with a diameter greater than 40mm are allowed, and no vehicles heavier than 1 tonne is permitted.
As another slogan for Pikitup goes: "It's a collective effort". Jozi folks, be kind to Mother Nature - before you dump your refuse, check out the garden refuse site near you, and use it.
For futher information about sites, call 0080 022 112 toll-free. To visit the Panorama Composting project, please call Dick Mulder at (011) 712 5316.
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