The City of Cape Town officially launched its new Waste Strategy on 17 July 2025, outlining a clear and ambitious roadmap to achieve its vision of a clean city for all, where residents and businesses have access to quality, well-regulated, sustainable and affordable waste services.
The launch was attended by representatives from various government departments, along with key stakeholders in the waste management sector, including private service providers, NGOs, academics and community-based organisations. The strong turnout highlighted the shared commitment to building a cleaner, healthier and more inclusive Cape Town.
The City has a long history of pioneering best practices in waste management. It was the first metropolitan municipality in South Africa to adopt and enforce an Integrated Waste Management (IWM) By-law, which came into effect in 2010 to promote more sustainable and regulated waste practices across the city, even inspiring the National Waste Strategy implemented in 2011. With the launch of this Strategy, Cape Town once again leads the way, becoming the first metro in the country to adopt a formal, City Waste Strategy.
The strategy is built on three key commitment pillars:
- Optimising existing services: The City will enhance the efficiency of current waste services while maintaining financial and operational sustainability. Modernisation of systems, improved fleet and resource management, and service delivery enhancements are key focus areas.
- Minimising waste to landfill: To address the environmental and economic impacts of landfilling, the City will strengthen data use, technology integration, and inter-departmental coordination; build human resource capacity for more effective service delivery; create an enabling environment for private sector participation; roll out education and awareness campaigns to shift behaviour; and expand access to drop-off sites and other waste minimisation services.
- Maximising the basket of service offerings: Recognising Cape Town’s diversity, the City will broaden its service offerings through localised solutions and partnerships with community organisations and industry stakeholders; and development of tailored service standards to meet different needs across the city.
‘This strategy is a commitment to building a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable city. It provides a roadmap to reshape waste services so they are more responsive to the needs of our city’s unique communities and environment.
‘The attendance of key future partners in media, industry and civil society is encouraging as achieving the goals of the Strategy and building a thriving circular economy cannot be accomplished through a top-down approach alone. Success will require active participation from both businesses and residents, who will need to embrace new practices and comply with evolving legislative requirements. In some cases, this may involve additional time or financial investment, but these efforts are essential to securing long-term environmental, social and economic benefits for the city as a whole,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.
A roadmap for change with clear actions and accountability
The strategy outlines specific actions under each pillar, supported by clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and timeframes. It places strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making, the adoption of appropriate technologies, and the importance of effective partnerships with the private sector, NGOs and communities.
The City has also included the development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms into the strategy to track progress and ensure transparency and accountability throughout implementation.
‘This is not just a municipal plan – it is a city-wide call to action. Through better use of data, innovative solutions, and active collaboration, we can make Cape Town a model of clean, sustainable urban living,’ said Alderman Twigg.
The strategy supports the City’s long-term environmental goals, including emissions reduction and climate resilience.
To learn more or access the full City Waste Strategy document, visit: https://www.capetown.gov.za/general/waste-strategy
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