City brings recycling to more doorsteps in the south

06 November 2025

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate is extending its Think Twice programme, which offers a once-a-week household recycling collection service in clear bags to more areas in the southern parts of the city.

Residents can expect starter information packs for the recycling service in their letterboxes in the coming weeks and collections will begin in each area over the course of November 2025.
 
Recyclables collected through this service will be processed at the City’s newly commissioned Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at the Coastal Park Disposal Facility, which became operational on Saturday, 1 November. This modern facility has enabled greater diversion of waste from landfill in surrounding suburbs, and supports Cape Town’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable city.
 
What residents need to know:
 
The City’s contractor, Resource Innovations, will be responsible for both collecting the recyclables and operating the new MRF.
 
If you live in the areas below look out for your starter information pack.

The starter pack will include guidance on how to take part in the recycling collection service, and which materials are accepted.
 
In addition, residents should please note:

• Recycling collection day is the same day as the normal refuse collection in 240 litre bins.
• If you do not receive a starter pack, email Wastewise.User@capetown.gov.za or the contractor on info@riafrica.co.za.
• Newly added areas will reflect on the City's map viewer in due course. Residents can use the map viewer to check if they are in a think twice area. To view Think Twice Recycling Collection Beats, use the layer list and tick the relevant box, located under Basic Services and Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management

If the Think Twice programme is not available in your area yet, consider recycling through:

• Private service providers: City’s waste recyclers map or
• Taking recyclables to City drop-off facilities

The City selected the latest suburbs to be included in the Think Twice programme based on their proximity to the Coastal Park landfill, where the new MRF was developed. This approach ensures that recyclables are collected and processed as close as possible to where they are generated, making the service more efficient and environmentally responsible. By aligning the collection areas to MRF locations, the City reduces transport distances and saves fuel, thereby limiting operational costs as well as reducing emissions associated with logistics. Recyclables collected from suburbs in the Far South that already participate in Think Twice will also be processed at the Coastal Park MRF going forward.
 
The list of suburbs Think Twice is currently intended to grow to include many other suburbs around the Coastal Park, however, please be advised that this is dependent on the budget to cover additional recycling collection vehicles as needed, as well as upgrades at Coastal Park MRF that can increase the capacity of the facility to process recyclables. Because the recycling collection service is currently provided at no additional cost to residents, cost efficiency remains a key consideration in determining where and how the service is expanded.
 
‘The expansion of this service and the opening of the Coastal Park MRF bring us closer to our goal of a cleaner, greener Cape Town. By participating in the clear bag recycling programme, residents help reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and contribute to a circular economy that creates new opportunities and jobs,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.
 
Reminder
 
Please keep recyclables clean and dry before placing them in the clear bags. Items contaminated with food or liquid cannot be recycled and will, unfortunately, end up in a landfill. Small steps, such as rinsing bottles, cans, and containers make a big difference in ensuring that materials can be recovered efficiently at the MRF.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office