I have just read your January 16 edition of the Alberton RECORD and noted under Important Notices about the termination of the kerbside household collection programme.
I am disgusted with the way Mpact Recycling has just terminated this collection service without any prior notification whatsoever.
A calendar for the collections in Meyersdal was issued in September 2019, which included dates right up until November 2020, and then suddenly collections were terminated on December 13, 2019.
If this was their decision, the least they could have done was to leave a notice with each resident where collections were made at least a month prior and then offer alternative arrangements.
For a company that has been deeply invested in the recycling industry for over 50 years, their decision has dealt a major blow to the recycling efforts of residents in the various suburbs who have supported their scheme for many years.
I can assure you that the discarded magazines and newspapers will now end up in the garbage bins of residents, which will just add to the problem of disposing the massive amounts of waste collected by the municipalities.
A disgusted resident
Comment from Mpact Recycling:
Thank you for the letter. While we completely sympathise with residents because of the inconvenience caused, the closing of the kerbside programme should not discourage residents from recycling.
We’ve been dealing with numerous calls and queries about it ending, and for the most part residents just want to know what other options are available to them.
We’ve not stopped collecting in the various areas. We have, however, stopped the kerbside collections.
We have numerous schools and communities on our Ronnie Recycler programme in the different areas.
You can find these areas by visiting https://www.mpactrecycling.co.za/paperbank-search/search/results
Please support them and us as we transition them over to the updated programme – specifically sorting for white paper, cardboard, magazines and long-life milk and juice cartons.
Just bear with us as we work with the different sites as this will take a little bit of time.
As always, we are looking for new sites to bring onboard our schools and communities programme.
A formal release went out in early December, along with with posts on social media, our website and in all the local community Caxton newspapers (16 publications around the first week in December):
https://www.mpactrecycling.co.za/recycle-now/kerbside-collection
We encourage residents to keep recycling – it is only through recyclers such as yourselves that we can all truly make a difference. Look for other recycling opportunities in your areas – also at shopping centres, community sites, etc.
Residents may also want to know what steps they can take to keep recycling.
We encourage residents to find out what programmes are running in their communities and to continue recycling.
Keep separating out your various materials – white paper, plastic, cardboard, milk and juice cartons, cans and glass.
Support the local collectors in your area on refuse day.
Support the local schools and communities running recycling programmes with the green Ronnie banks.
Many shopping centres also have recycling drop-off sites that are regularly serviced.
Residents also ask what led to the decision to stop the service.
We’ve only ceased kerbside collections; all the other collections are still operating.
We run a number of other collection programmes, such as the schools and communities within the various areas.
The kerbside programme was initially established to collect magazines and newspapers from households and the famous green ‘Ronnie bag’ has made a positive impact on the environment, as well as created a culture of recycling for residents since the programme began almost 30 years ago.
However, as the recycling industry has evolved over time, it has become necessary for Mpact to make changes to its collection processes.
We encourage you to take advantage of our Ronnie Recycler schools and communities programme and to support the other collectors in your area.
We will also continue to back the municipalities and the various separation-at-source programmes they are running.
Donna-Mari Noble
Mpact communications manager
