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The Herald

Explosion in waste truck: Ekurhuleni warns residents not to dump hot ash in wheelie bins

The City of Ekurhuleni is urging residents not to dump hot ash into municipal wheelie bins after an explosion inside a waste compactor truck in removal officials were forced to offload a truck mid-route last week after a blast occurred due to improperly discarded domestic waste. There were no injuries to staff or damage to the vehicle. 'Putting hot ash or explosives inside a 240l waste bin is not only damaging to the waste container but may also pose a danger to the officials picking up the waste bins,' the municipality said. The city confirmed the cause of the explosion was 'domestic waste that contained smouldering material' prompting renewed calls for residents to handle their rubbish responsibly. Ekurhuleni said only domestic waste such as the following should be placed in 240l wheelie bins: Polystyrene and polythene. Carrier bags. Tissues, napkins and kitchen towels. Nappies. Cat litter, animal faeces and bedding. Soiled fast food containers and pizza boxes. Oil or fat from food preparation or cooking. Cigarette ends. Broken crockery or glass. Cotton wool and buds. Contents of vacuum cleaners. Crisp and sweet wrappers (which are often not recyclable). The city also reminded residents that use of the 240l wheelie bins is mandatory for all households.'In an instance where a customer generates waste that exceeds the 240l wheelie bin's capacity in a week, they are advised to visit their nearest waste management depot to apply for an extra wheelie bin. An additional waste bin results in an additional monthly charge aligning with the extra waste generated by a customer,' the city said. Each 240l bin can accommodate the equivalent of three full refuse bags, enough for the average household's waste over seven days. Apart from making the collection process more efficient and uniform, the bins offer practical benefits. The city said: 'The 240l wheelie bins minimise the tearing of refuse bags by rodents and stray dogs, thus providing a clean environment. They also help protect officials from exposure to sharp and harmful objects usually found inside refuse bags.' TimesLIVE