Operation Clean Freetown (OCF) applies to every ward in Freetown (Western Urban) and wards 326 to 333, 336, 341 and 342 in the Western Rural Area.
It is funded by the Government of Sierra Leone and UKAID and is aimed at improving public health in the city through better management of household waste. This includes a new door-to-door household waste collection strategy, improved waste management infrastructure, awareness raising, and an intensive clean of Freetown and its surrounding areas.
What is household waste?
1. Solid household waste comprising of rubbish/garbage, such as bottles, cans, clothing, food packaging, food scraps and newspapers, is waste that is produced by families in their homes or apartments.
What is door-to-door waste collection?
1. Door-to-door waste collection means that a waste/rubbish collection service comes to your home to pick up your household waste and dispose of it appropriately.
2. All households in Freetown and in the wards in Western Rural listed above will be required to use a door-to-door waste collection service. Households will no longer be able to deposit their waste directly in transit points.
3. Under Operation Clean Freetown young people in Freetown have received support to set up dedicated door-to-door waste collection businesses in their communities. You will recognise them by their Operation Clean Freetown polo shirts and official ID cards.
4. Households with existing door-to-door waste collection providers may continue to use these.
How do I subscribe to the OCF door-to-door waste collection service?
1. If you register with the OCF door to door waste collection service, you will be given one rice bag free of charge. It will be delivered to your property and should be used to collect your household waste.
2. You can purchase additional rice bags from the market.
3. It is important you only put household waste in your rice bag.
4. Your OCF youth group waste collection service will charge you Le2,000 for each rice bag of waste they collect from your home.
5. You should agree a schedule for the collection of household waste with your OCF door-to-door waste collection service.
6. If your door to door provider fails to stick to the household waste collection service, please inform your councillor
7. In between collections, please keep your waste on your property.
8. If you have items that do not fit in the rice bag, arrange with your door-to-door waste collection service for their disposal at an agreed cost.
Household data collection:
1. OCF youth groups will be collecting data from all households in the city.
2. They will ask the homeowner or household head a series of questions. These include name, address, telephone number, gender, number of dependents, how you currently dispose of your waste, and what kind of toilet facilities are available to your household.
3. You are required to provide this information whether or not you wish to use the OCF youth group waste collection service. Please answer promptly and accurately.
4. If you are not at home – the data collector will return until someone is available
The intensive clean
1. An intensive clean of the city will begin on the 19th May and is intended to support sustainable waste management going forward.
2. A weekly schedule showing which wards will be cleaned will be circulated in advance.
3. Households are required to clean their compounds during the intensive clean and are encouraged to participate in the cleaning of their neighbourhoods.
4. During the intensive clean Masada will install skip bins at designated collection points.
5. Households should dispose of their waste in these skip bins for the period of the intensive clean only. Once the intensive clean of their wards is concluded, they will be expected to use a household door-to-door waste collection service. 6. During the intensive clean, any households disposing of their waste improperly will be fined under the by-laws preventing littering and improper disposal of waste.
7. Masada will transport the waste in the skip bins to the city’s dump sites.
8. Public Health Aides and Inspectors will conduct spot checks of households and communities during the period of the intensive clean.
Maintaining a clean city
1. Households will need to show that they have an approved system of household waste disposal.
2. Individuals convicted of improper waste disposal or littering will be subject to a fine of Le500,000 or six-months imprisonment.