Download PDFScrap yards, once seen as a means of recycling and income generation, are increasingly becoming a burden in our communities. These yards, meant to be sustainability centres for many families, are now sources of environmental degradation, health hazards, and economic strain on struggling communities.
The unchecked operations of scrap yards contribute significantly to environmental degradation. Improper disposal of hazardous materials such as burning of wires releases toxins into the air and soil, contaminating our environment and endangering public health. This issue has gone on for far too long in our communities leaving the community dirty with plastic and invaluable scrap scattered around.
The health implications of living near scrap yards are dire. The burning of wires releases toxic fumes leading to respiratory problems. “I’ve been staying near Phola Park scrab yard for 2 years now, every week people burn wires and plastic, which releases a smell that affects my baby, everytime the fire burns she coughs painfully, said 29-year-old Sindisiwe Ncube.
The accumulation of scrap metal creates a breeding ground for pests and rats, increasing the risk of diseases. This often happens when a large amount of metal and plastic collected every day by the scrap yard, is stored onsite while being removed and sent away only once a week.
Although scrap yards offer income opportunities for owners and people selling to them, they also create economic strains in our communities. One way in which that happens is that scrap metals often lead to increased crime rates as thieves target valuable metals.
More and more community members complain of theft as their goods are stolen and sold to scrap yards for a quick buck. Thile Twala (32) a street committee leader in Phola Park said, “These scrap yards need to be regulated to stop crime and theft in our community, they can do this by taking the seller’s details, so people can be tracked when theft is connected to their goods.”
Community members and leaders must take action to regulate scrap yards in our townships. Proper monitoring, and enforcement of regulations are important to fight against environmental challenges and crime, because these issues may deter potential growth, new businesses and innovations in the townships.
This article is an opinion piece submitted on 16 June 2024. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
