“Waste is everyone’s business. This is your chance to be part of helping to create a cleaner Cape Town” said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management in the City of Cape Town.
The City manages about 2,1 million tonnes of waste annually, with about 31,53% of this amount, diverted from landfill.
In 2023/24, illegal dumping amounted to about 15 000 tonnes of waste collected per month.
Cape Town’s population is projected to expand to 5,8 million by 2040, which will increase pressure on waste management systems.
The City of Cape Town has therefore, created its first ever, waste strategy to address challenges it faces in managing waste due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and increasing consumption patterns.
The Waste Strategy includes key actions, such as developing a plan for an additional landfill site, collaborating with producers and the formal and informal recycling industry, and extending waste services to backyard tenants on non-City land.
“The vision for Cape Town is to deliver a clean city for all, where residents and businesses have access to quality, sustainable, and affordable waste services” said Twigg.
He said this is why the City is encouraging all stakeholders, to provide input to the draft Waste Strategy, which covers various types of waste and existing services.
“Waste is part of our daily lives as we buy and consume products, or experience the effects of illegal dumping. It’s a good time for us to reflect on our relationship with waste and how we manage it and what can be done to improve our systems, so we can all work together to keep Cape Town clean and sustainable.”