The City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate has collected over 550 000 kgs of organic food waste through its pilot projects over almost two years, to help protect the environment and free up landfill space. This collection equates to the total average weight of about 100 elephants. The City is highlighting its research organic food waste diversion drives in recognition of Stop Food Waste Day and leading up to International Compost Awareness Week.
The organic waste diversion pilot and research projects at selected Public Transport Interchanges (PTIs) and in two residential areas, Langa and Khayelitsha, aim to reduce organic food waste that ends up at landfills to help protect our environment. This will also inform future planning in this space.
In addition, the City has also been distributing free home composting bins to help build a composting culture.
About the research projects:
The collected organic waste diverted from these projects is taken to the Bellville Compost Plant. Here it is produced into compost that is sold to City departments or to the public.
- Public Transport Interchanges (PTIs) Organic Waste Diversion research project
395 300 kgs of organic food waste from fruit and vegetables has been collected from vendors at PTIs since the project started almost two years ago. Participating vendors put their organic waste into specific bins which are collected weekly by EPWP teams.
PTIs currently involved: CBDs of Bellville, Cape Town and the Flower Market, Mitchells Plain, Maitland/Gatesville.
PTIs previously involved: Wynberg, Parow, Woodstock and Salt River.
After this project ends in June 2025, the City will assess the outcomes to help determine the future of such initiatives.
- The Langa and Khayelitsha residential organic food waste diversion pilot project
157 000 kgs of organic food waste have been collected from about 2000 households since the project started in May 2024: 99 000 kgs in Langa and 58 000 kgs in Khayelitsha.
Participating residents receive either a 10L or 20L bucket to store their organic food waste, which the City collects weekly.
This project ends in April 2025 and its extension is currently under consideration.
Home composting:
Since 2016, 50 910 free home composting bins have been given to residents to help build a composting culture.
- Get a free bin. Look out for rollouts coming to your area. See the home composting container rollout schedule for updates.
- See tips to start home composting.
Benefits of home composting:
- Free up refuse bin space and leaves it cleaner
- Free up landfill space
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Create compost to nourish your garden
- City projects contributing towards the efforts to meet the Western Cape Government’s ban to landfill of all organic waste by 2027.
‘As a growing City, we need to all change our relationship with waste. Reducing and diverting organic waste is a key component in our Waste Strategy. This is Cape Town’s action plan to collaboratively work together with the public and private sector to reduce waste that ends up at landfill.
‘Residents and vendors participating in our projects have directly contributed to minimising greenhouse gases and protecting the environment.
‘We are calling on the public to stop wasting food and start home composting where possible. The City is providing free home composting bins to make this action more accessible to our residents. Look out for rollouts coming to your area. There are also practical benefits for residents who do home composting, from freeing up refuse bin space to nourishing your garden.
‘We also plan to assess the outcomes of the research projects to help us tackle organic food waste diversion in future. These City projects also contribute towards the efforts to meet the Western Cape Government’s ban to landfill of all organic waste by 2027.
‘We all have a part to play in looking after our environment so let’s work together to create a healthier future,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.
