Joy of Jazz goes green with Pikitup

The annual jazz event is scheduled to take place in Newtown from 22 to 24 August.

Pikitup will be providing sixty 240 litre bins for the duration of the event and recycling stations will be placed throughout the event’s grounds. All bins will be clearly marked with stickers according to the waste type.

Pikitup’s Pansy Oyedele said the waste entity was happy to work with the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz.

“Such events are always an ideal forum to promote recycling and to show people that this is a lifestyle wherever you are. We also continue to seek ways of educating people on the economic and environmental benefits of reducing the amount of waste going to landfills by recycling,” she said.

Oyedele said residents also had a vital role to play in keeping the city clean. “Unfortunately, there is a pervasive mindset among Joburg citizens that tolerates littering and illegal dumping. The negative consequences of this extend far beyond the visible blight of unhealthy illegal dumps,” said Oyedele.

She added it costs the City R170 million per annum to clean up street littering and illegal dump sites alone – money that could be far better utilised on 7 350 RDP houses, 588 new ambulances or any number of projects that could bring the city up to world-class standards.

Oyedele said the city council had a special application process for big events planned within the city. “A variety of issues are taken into account, i.e. safety, route access and waste management. A committee comprising all the relevant departments within the City of Johannesburg is responsible for reviewing such applications. Specific requirements relating to waste management may include separation at source and regular collection of waste during events.”

According to Oyedele, the organisers of such events can elect the City of Johannesburg to undertake such services or may utilise private contractors, as long as proper waste management practices are followed.

“We hope to see more of these green events in the city, as it is all about making better choices: using alternative products, adopting healthier habits and changing our decisions when planning and attending an event. We encourage people to always reduce, reuse, recycle and most importantly, rethink,” added Oyedele.