Abu Dhabi: The careless attitude of certain residents, who dispose of waste haphazardly in their buildings, is annoying many others.
Instead of throwing items down the designated garbage chute, some tenants leave garbage on the floor of the disposal room, or even near the door. Not only is the practice unhygienic it also creates an unpleasant stench in the building’s public areas, such as the stairwell and corridors, residents complain.
“It takes just a few minutes to throw the garbage bag down the chute. Yet many people cannot be bothered to make the effort, and it makes things unpleasant for the rest of us,” Thani Al Saudi, a logistics support manager from Iraq, told Gulf News.
Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News Garbage strewn in a building.
Al Saudi, who lives in a building in Al Bateen area, said he has to deal with this issue, which he considers to be a result of “uncivilised behaviour”, several times a week.
“Each time I am forced to call my watchman to clear up the mess,” he said.
Public spaces within apartment buildings are managed by the relevant property or facilities management firms. While many do put up signs reminding tenants to throw their waste properly, there are usually no penalties for offenders and, therefore little enforcement.
Improper waste disposal becomes an eyesore, and the rubbish can become a breeding ground for insects and rodents, authorities have warned in the past.
Aya Taiseer Adel, a 22-year-old student from Palestine, attempted to deal with the problem in her own way.
“I once made a sign and put it up next to the waste disposal room, hoping that it would encourage residents to throw the garbage bags carefully. It worked for a while, but then things went back to “normal”, with full garbage bags being stacked outside the chute,” she said.
Adel, who lives in an apartment complex on Hamdan Bin Mohammad Street, said the bad smell emanating from the garbage room also seems to exacerbate her asthma.
“This is notwithstanding the insect infestations created by the lack of hygiene,” she added.
People whose apartments are located right next to the waste disposal room end up drawing the short end of the stick if other tenants do not throw away the garbage carefully.
Latifa P., a Bangladeshi homemaker, said this was a persistent issue at her previous apartment.
“The garbage room was located right outside our main door, and our neighbours unfortunately always left the chute open. It was very annoying, as it made the entrance of our home smell. We often had to go out and close the chute ourselves, or pick up the trash before guests came over,” she recounts.
The brunt of the clean-up is usually left to building watchmen and cleaners, who must not only empty the chute bins but also go from floor to floor to collect other rubbish left around.
“It is not really a matter of convenience, just a lack of concern for the comfort of others. Why else would otherwise educated professionals engage in such unsocial behaviour?” said J. Mohammad, watchman at an apartment block in Musaffah area.
Shohaib, another watchman whose name has been changed to protect his identity, said residents may only dispose of large unwanted items in the disposal room.
“Many tenants take advantage of this and leave their regular waste outside the chute,” he added.
Tadweer
Tadweer, the Centre for Waste Management Abu Dhabi, has a free bulk waste collection programme where they will collect large items such as furniture from the public, free of charge.
Residents in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region can take advantage of the service with a simple phone call to the Abu Dhabi Government toll-free number 800555.
Tadweer will send a vehicle to the location within 24 hours of receiving the request. All unwanted furniture such as tables, chairs, cabinets and beds can be discarded of in this way. However, as reported by Gulf News earlier, residents must carry the items outside their apartment to the street.
