Don’t leave garden waste in open heaps, residents told

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HOUSEHOLDS in Petaling Jaya have been urged not to put their garden waste in open heaps outside their homes or on road kerbs for green waste collection.

Instead, they have been asked to pack the grass cuttings, leaves, weeds, twigs, barks and hedge prunings into disposal bags while the small branches are required to be tied up, to ensure quick collection.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) health director Dr Chitradavi Vadivellu said the collection of garden refuse could be done in an efficient manner if the green waste was disposed in bags or tied up.

At work: Contractors appointed by MBPJ collecting garden refuse in Jalan Chantek 5/13 in Section 5.

“Coconut fronds or even branches can be halved and tied up, as this will make it easier for the contractors to load them into the small lorries. It will save time and allow them to cover more neighbourhoods within the working hours,” she said.

Dr Chitradavi added that the people’s collective effort and civic mindedness were crucial to ensure the success of MBPJ’s mechanism for a clean neighbourhood.

On Thursday, she conducted a spot check along Jalan Pantai 9/7 off Jalan Gasing, just outside the Thai Buddhist Chetawan Temple and later along Jalan Chantek 5/13.

“Collection of domestic waste in these two areas are moving in a smooth manner.

“But for the garden refuse we noticed that one resident in Jalan Chantek had left coconut fronds on the road kerb. It is better if the resident had cut the fronds into two and tied it up for the contractors,” she said.

Dr Chitradavi added that the council has three categories of contractors: waste busters to collect garden refuse and bulk waste; cleaning contractors to de-silt drains, cut and sweep grass on road sides; and contractors for collection of domestic waste.

Provision shop owner K. Selvam, 67, whose outlet is off Jalan Chantek said the collection of domestic garbage was running in an efficient mode but urged the council to buck up on the collection of the green waste.

Section 10 resident J.S. Henry suggested that the council create an area for community composting as it would lengthen the lifespan of landfills.

“MBPJ can use the land below TNB’s transmission power lines to compost green waste. The council can have a shredder to reduce garden waste from a sprawling pile of cuttings and branches to a smaller volume which is easier to manage by shovel and rake,” he said.

Commenting on Henry’s suggestion, Dr Chitradavi said the council felt it was a good idea that would augur well for the environment and MBPJ could implement it.