Nappy disposal project benefits informal areas

A PILOT project to lessen the impact of improperly disposed hygiene products, especially nappies, on the community, environment and public health has achieved positive results, with over 1 000kg of nappies being collected monthly from an informal settlement.

Durban's Green Corridors NPO, that is involved in environmental and social initiatives, in partnership with Swiss University ETH Zürich and Kimberly-Clark, embarked on a project to address the issue of dumped disposable nappies and other absorbent hygiene products (AHP) such as panty-liners, wipes and sanitary pads in informal settlements.

Musa Shange, Green Corridor's Green Spaces project officer, said the project comprised two phases, the first being research. From their findings, they then developed a collection model, which they implemented at the end of last year.

"The improper disposal of nappies and other sanitary waste leads to environmental contamination and health hazards, including the spread of diseases. These products, especially nappies, also often cause blockages within sewerage systems, which can result in sewage overflow and contamination of waterways,” said Shange.

The initiative, known as the Inhlanzeko Bin Project, aims to pilot an AHP collection system to lessen the impact of improperly disposed hygiene products on the community, environment and public health.

In most informal and rural settlements, residents have been throwing nappies into nearby open spaces or dump sites.

The project has been rolled out in informal settlements, namely Johanna Road in Sea Cow Lake and Blackburn Village in Cornubia, with trained community liaison officers participating in educating and guiding residents.

Shange said they also had to address superstition in the African community around human waste.

"We also had to look at many other factors that affect their perception. The focus was given to the caregivers. From the research, we were able to develop a system that would assist in understanding people's behaviour and perception towards used nappies or AHP.

"People have started realising this is for their own benefit. We are seeing a drastic increase in the number of nappies being disposed of in the allocated bins. Over 1 000kg of nappies per month just from Johanna Road and similarly in Blackburn Village are being collected," said Shange.

Amina Keneta, a field worker under Green Corridor at Johanna Road, said since the start of the project there had been a decline in the cases of cholera and diarrhoea.

"There are not that many rats in the community. People are using the specified bins to dispose of the nappies in the communities and early childhood development centres or crèches. Another lady and myself collect the waste from those bins and dispose of the waste in metal containers, which are then collected on specific bin days. It is no longer accessible to dogs and children. In the past, it used to lie around on the streets," said Keneta.

She said they continually educate people on how to dispose of waste.

"The word has spread, but this is going to be an ongoing exercise as there will be new mothers and new people moving into the informal area. Our main aim was to see a change in individuals before seeing a change in the community. We are teaching people to keep their surroundings and environment clean," said Keneta.