THE City of Cape Town has urged residents to keep their bins safe following a huge spike in reports of wheelie bins being stolen.
MMC for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, said recent data showed there were 29 330 reported cases of stolen bins in 2023, up from 28 653 in 2022. He said residents must take responsibility for their bins and also take necessary steps if their bins are stolen.
“By promptly reporting theft of bins, residents help us take proactive measures to address the issue and ensure refuse collection services can continue smoothly,” said Twigg.
Twigg added that as soon as bins are stolen, residents must promptly apply for new ones.
“I'd like to remind property owners of their responsibility to provide enough wheelie bins for all people who live on their property. If you have a big household or backyard tenants and your wheelie bin gets full before the refuse collection day, we urge you to apply for additional bins at the relevant tariff.
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“By ensuring an adequate number of bins, property owners can play a crucial role in reducing illegal dumping and maintaining the cleanliness of our communities. Please, give your tenants the tools they need to prevent illegal dumping,” said Twigg.
Residents from Kensington area in Cape Town said the problem of stolen bins is big in their area.
“We put them out of the yard early in the morning on garbage collection days. We sometimes go to work, leaving them outside and thieves take advantage of that,” said resident, Lauren Klaas (46).
Residents said some wheelie bin thieves resell the bins, while others use them to collect recyclable items to sell at recycling factories.
“People must stop buying wheelie bins. Why would you buy it if it is not new? It is stolen,” said another resident, Rashid Simons (44) from Kensington.
