Tackling illegal dumping, reducing waste that ends up at landfill, encouraging recycling and driving partnerships are among the topics addressed in the commitments and actions articulated in the strategy. The deadline for comments is Friday 18 October 2024.
The City of Cape Town has collated its first Waste Strategy to navigate the significant challenges it faces in managing waste due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and increasing consumption patterns.
The Waste Strategy includes key actions that respond to these challenges – such as developing a plan for an additional landfill site, collaborating innovatively 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. The draft Waste Strategy is built on three commitment pillars:- Optimising existing services – improving efficiencies within existing services
- Minimising waste to landfill – making waste reduction easy and part of the culture of Cape Town
- Maximising the basket of service offerings – expanding services through partnerships and tailoring
‘The future of Cape Town’s waste is in our hands. Sustainably managing waste in Cape Town is a shared responsibility, and residents, businesses and civil society are essential partners in realising the vision of a clean city for all.‘The City is encouraging all Cape Town 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. ‘This strategy is important because it aims to create a cleaner, healthier environment for all residents and ensure that waste management services are accessible, affordable, and sustainable. Ensuring that all residents, including residents living in informal settlements, backyard dwellings and small-scale rental units (SSRUs), have access to quality waste services is critical in transforming the waste sector to be as circular as possible. ‘This Strategy also emphasises that the collaboration between the City, residents, and the private sector is important to achieve the City’s ambitious waste diversion targets and create a sustainable urban environment for all Cape Town residents. In this regard, we would love to hear suggestions for topics on which we need to raise greater awareness.
‘Waste is everyone’s business. This is your chance to be part of helping to create a cleaner Cape Town so please submit your comments. We want to hear from you,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.
Illegal dumping is one of the topics addressed in the draft Waste Strategy
Public participation period
From Wednesday 11 September 2024 to Friday 18 October 2024.View the draft Waste Strategy:
- Online: http://www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay
- In-person at sub-council offices and at libraries.
Submit comments:
- Online: http://www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay
- Email: WasteStrategy.PP@capetown.gov.za
- In writing: post it to Urban Waste Management 19th floor, Civic Center, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001
