MBABANE – Waste collection skips are being damaged deliberately.
The vandalism comes in many different forms of intent to cause damage to the skips and is inflicted by either children, adults, protestors as well as mentally challenged persons.
Council has two types of metal waste skips, the traditional 6m3 and the 5.5m3 REL skips. The traditional 6m3 is serviced by a waste skip truck, the truck carries a single waste skip to the landfill and returns it to the area of placement/ service area, while the 5.5m3 REL waste skip is serviced mainly by compactor truck fitted with rear end loading mechanism (REL) as well as the skip master truck.
The 5.5m3 REL waste skips have more benefits as opposed to the traditional waste skips, as the frequency of trips to the landfill is reduced, hence fuel is saved and accident hazard chances minimized to name a few.
Vandalism Types
- Defacing of waste skips – obliterating of lettering / writing on skips
- Graffiti on skips – making of skips with paint and writing slogans as well as obscene language
- Removal of warning signs especially reflectors
- Skips dragged from the area of original placement – damages the structure of the skip
- Skips overturned upside down in the middle of the road
- Skips set on fire
Extent of damage caused by vandalism
The skips are subjected to various degrees of damage when vandalized and the life expectancy of the skips is reduced drastically from the projected 10-15 years due to the damage sustained as a result of the vandalism.
- Aesthetical damage – not appealing
- Reduced visibility of waste skip – damaged signage
- Damaged paint work – the skip succumbs to damage from weather elements and rusting faster than expected
- Damaged and weakened structure of the skip – fire damage
Waste skips are an imprtant part of waste management and cleanliness in the city, and are an expensive waste collection equipment to purchase and mantain, lets protect and preserve them!!!
Figure 1: Graffiti on traditional 6m3 waste skips
Figure 3: Fire in traditional 6m3 waste skips
