Alderman Grant Twigg commemorates first registered waste minimisation club in Cape Town at Oasis Retirement Resort
20 April 2023
Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste
Management, today visited the Oasis Retirement Resort to give a keynote address
as part of their Earth Week programme and celebrate the Greening Oasis Team.
Since 2019, members of the Greening Oasis Team have been preparing the Oasis Retirement Resort to qualify as the City's first registered waste minimisation club (WMC) in Cape Town. They have been working to spread awareness and appreciation of the value of the waste that is generated at Oasis Retirement Complex to every resident and employee.
Up to 2019, Oasis was sending all its waste, adding up to over 6 tons per month, to landfill, wasting all its potential value. The resulting impacts on climate change and limited landfill airspace, along with increasing efforts from government and civil society to change our citizens' relationship with waste, motivated the Oasis Resort Property Owners Association (ORPOA) Chairperson and the General Manager to initiate action. This resulted in the establishment of the Greening Oasis Team.
Since its establishment, this body has been instrumental in facilitating the reduction in the number of wheelie bins serviced by the City at Oasis by more than 60%, with concurrent reductions in their municipal bill for refuse collection. This was done through contracts with recycling and organic waste management companies to remove and sell recyclable waste that can be used in other industries such as packaging and composting.
Between August 2019 and July 2022, 137,5 tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill into the economy at this facility. This includes:
⦁ 113,5 tons of recyclables sold into the markets; and
⦁ 24 tons of organic food waste, which is composted.
In July 2022, only 1,4 tons of waste was landfilled, compared to over six tons per month, three years earlier.
All waste minimisation initiatives were supported by rigorous monitoring of the waste, as well ongoing awareness, communication and motivation campaigns.
How to benefit from reduced bins and associated tariffs?
Sectional title complexes can easily and immediately complete the Supply of Services Application Form (https://bit.ly/41kLzKt) to reduce their number of wheelie bins or frequency of collection to a minimum of one third of total units in the complex (or equivalent number of bin lifts if a property is serviced 3x per week, as with Oasis). This enables complexes to immediately save up to two thirds of their monthly refuse removal costs from the City. Businesses can also follow this route. More information can be found here (https://bit.ly/3KOv16C). This is how the City is rewarding sectional title complexes and businesses for recycling.
A sectional title complex can further reduce its refuse bins being collected by registering as a waste minimization club to qualify for a basic 240L bin minimised service rebate, and attaching proof that their recycling collection contractor is an accredited waste management service provider. They will also need to submit:
⦁ A brief integrated waste management plan, describing how they are diverting their waste; and
⦁ Statistics on recyclables and/or garden and food waste diverted for the previous six months
The City's Waste Management Officer will evaluate the application to register as a waste minimisation club, which if approved will allow the City to further reduce the number of 240L wheelie bins down to a minimum of one quarter of the number of units.
In the case of Oasis Retirement Resort's status, following a number of initial engagements, working together during 2021 and 2022, the Greening Oasis Team made their application to register the Oasis Retirement Resort as a waste minimisation club in August 2022 and in response, the City reduced the number of bin lifts, with Oasis Resort realising immediate monthly savings on their refuse removal bill. In the past 18 months, Oasis has progressed from having 227 bins lifted monthly in October 2020 to less than 95 bins lifted in February 2023. The Greening Oasis Team continues to co-ordinate Oasis's recycling efforts and administer the waste minimisation club on Oasis's behalf.
Any residential complexes or flats (sectional-title) wishing to also register as a waste minimisation club should contact wastewise@capetown.gov.za for more information.
'Increased diversion of recyclables and organic waste continues every month at Oasis, which has risen to an impressive rate of 81% waste diversion from landfill as at February 2023. This is a truly remarkable achievement!' said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
'One of the pillars of Oasis' success is its continuous communication and engagement with all stakeholders, as well as the commitment to give residents regular feedback and motivating them to do more.
'The Greening Oasis Team also takes advantage of days like Earth Day, where they host 3-day long events such as the one we are participating in today, among others, to celebrate the Oasis recycling initiative achievements. Every opportunity has been taken to raise awareness and motivation, from numerous Oasis newsletter/bulletin articles, ongoing training of residents and employees, including in their home languages where possible, posters and clear signage at the bin areas, and numerous other interventions,' he continued.
'These are all important lessons the City will keep in mind as we strive to meet ambitious provincial targets for the diversion of waste from landfill, and we encourage others to also follow this example. Remember, reducing our waste has to be a team effort,' Alderman Twigg concluded.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
