City to pilot community-based recycling initiative in Lotus Park informal settlement

23 June 2020

Statement by Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, Alderman Grant Twigg

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, Alderman Grant Twigg, has initiated a community-based recycling project, targeting areas with severe dumping hotspots. This exciting initiative will be launched with the community of Lotus Park informal settlement in early July 2020.  The City has been extensively engaging the community so that we can work together to improve the environment in the area for residents and their families, as well as foster community pride.

Photograph of community members at  Monwabisi Park taken in April 2020.            .                                             

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 The City’s Urban Management Department will be piloting a community-based recycling initiative in Lotus Park informal settlement in Gugulethu that will be operating from a recycling station at the Lotus Park Neighbourhood Centre, which will be completed by the end of June 2020.
 
The informal settlement consists of approximately 1 500 homes adjacent to Nyanga Junction Railway Station.
 
This is the first of seven sites that are being planned as part of the next phase of the roll-out for this project in other areas, including Monwabisi Park.
 
Through the City’s extensive engagements with the community, in excess of 50 dumping hotspots have been identified and reported to the department. These have subsequently been cleared by the City’s Solid Waste Department as a once-off clean-up. With this community initiative, monthly clean-ups are being done.
 
A thorough clean-up programme of the entire area earmarked for the community-based recycling initiative has already commenced in May. With residents at the helm, the City provided them with the appropriate personal protective equipment.
 
As part of the vision, the community-based recycling initiative is based on the following approach, with the first objective already actioned:

• Monthly clean-up of the more than 50 community identified dumping hotspots
• Collection of organic waste on a door-to-door basis in order to reduce the loading of organics onto the City’s dumping sites
• Delivery of recyclables to the station such as tin cans glass, plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, polystyrene, etc
• The organic waste will be used for composting and sold on to prospective buyers
• The recyclables will be separated and processed for selling if of value, i.e. plastic bottles and cardboard

 
Lotus Park informal settlement acts as a model to showcase the valuable contribution urban management can have in an informal settlement and make it a vibrant and integrated community precinct. With a visionary approach, the Urban Management Directorate aims to develop community hubs as a landing pad for integrated government and civil society co-operation based on the local Community Action Plan, which forms part of the City’s IDP vision.
 
We hope to encourage the healthy principles of responsibility and community ownership. The programme aims to inspire residents and ignite the belief that individuals can add value to their families and the greater community. It also aims to educate residents on the importance of recycling and caring for the environment. In this process, we hope to transform informal areas into integrated and sustainable communities , reduce the spread of disease, provide safe areas for recreation and foster community pride.
 
Going forward, we will continue to engage the community and update them on the progress of the planned extension, which in future also aims to support and stimulate local economic opportunities through recycling.
 
 
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office