The City’s Solid Waste Management Department is responsible for waste collection, area cleaning and waste disposal in the Cape Town municipal area. Our goal is to integrate waste management services in such a way that we’re able to not only provide basic services, but to minimise the effects of waste on human and environmental health and augment its associated economic activities.

It is estimated that households generate 46%, industry 27% and commerce 26% of waste in the City’s municipal area.

In the 2007/8 financial year 2.1 million tons of waste was landfilled in the City’s three landfill sites, whilst in 2008/9 1.7 million tons was landfilled and 1.6 million tons in 2009/10. This was less than the projected growth estimates of 2006/7 when the City's Integrated Waste Management (IWM) policy was adopted.

In 2006/7 14% of waste was diverted from landfill sites, and was recycled or reused instead. In 2009/10 this figure increased to 19.67%. Most waste has economic value – recycling and reuse creates economic activity and minimises health, socio-economic and resource impacts, thereby reducing the amount of waste that ends up in expensive landfills.

Our department’s focus is on preventing pollution and waste at source, instead of on treating and disposing of waste once it has been generated
(‘end-of-pipe’ waste management). A new bylaw enables our department to strictly enforce the IWM policy.

People in Cape Town are beginning to practice waste minimisation techniques, and are producing less waste and recycling and reusing items. However there is much to be done – by our department as well as households, industry and commerce.

Our functions are carried out within the City’s social, economic, health and legislative obligations, in collaboration with other departments such as Environmental Resource
Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Spatial Planning and Urban Design, Planning
and Building Development Management, Health, 107 Emergency Services, Economic and Human Development and Tourism and Integrated Development Planning (IDP).