City’s mobile Swop Shop brings recycling rewards closer to home

18 November 2025

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate is bringing recycling a little closer to home and making it more rewarding through the success of its mobile Swop Shop trailer.

This creative mobile Swop Shop initiative allows residents to exchange recyclables for everyday essentials such as groceries, toiletries and school supplies. It is a simple way for households to make a difference while earning useful items in return.
 
‘The Swop Shop makes recycling accessible and worthwhile. Residents help keep their neighbourhoods clean, while also reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.
 
A growing success story

Since its relaunch in August 2025, the mobile Swop Shop has already collected 52 tonnes of recyclables, with residents receiving about R161 000 worth of essential goods in exchange – all within just two months.
 
The trailer visits Wesbank, Lwandle, Nomzamo, Mfuleni and Bosasa, Khayelitsha and Delft to make it easy for residents to take part.
 
In September alone, more than 700 people joined in, swapping recyclables like plastic, tin and glass for tokens they could redeem for food, toiletries, school stationery and other daily essentials.
 
Community-driven, City-supported

The Swop Shop is funded by the City and through the sale of collected recyclables, but private businesses are also invited to lend a hand. Donations of goods or supplies help the initiative grow and reach more families.
 
‘The more private sector involvement we can attract, the more we can expand this kind of model,’ said Alderman Twigg.
 
To contribute, contact re.cycling@capetown.gov.za. 
 
Cape Town is one of the first cities in the region – alongside Stellenbosch – to roll out a mobile version of the Swop Shop, allowing one trailer to serve several communities instead of being fixed to a single location.
 
Recyclables collected by October 2025:

• Wesbank: 23 311
• Lwandle and Nomzamo 8 868
• Mfuleni 5 388
• Khayelitsha 6 820
• Delft 7 538
  

Changing lives, one bag at a time

‘This innovation helps us reduce waste and support families through the items they earn. In some areas, the Swop Shop is still gaining momentum, but communities like Wesbank are showing just how successful it can be. In fact, in one area, the initiative has already created a job with an ambassador appointed to raise awareness and encourage more people to participate.
 
‘Waste management is everyone’s responsibility and when residents, businesses, and the City work together, entire neighbourhoods become cleaner, safer and more sustainable,’ said Alderman Twigg.
 
Where to find the Swop Shop
 
WEEKLY SCHEDULE

• Monday: Wesbank, 09:00 -15:00 on 8 Wesbank Main Road and Silversands Road 
  
• Tuesday: Lwandle and Nomzamo, 10:00 -15:00 on Malunga Street, opposite Rhabe Church 
  
• Wednesday: Mfuleni and Bosasa, 10:00 -14:00 on Main Road, Mfuleni, opposite Shoprite 
  
• Thursday: Khayelitsha, 10:00 -15:00 on Ncumo Road, Harare, Khayelitsha 
  
• Friday: Delft, 10:00 -14:00 on The Hague Avenue

Looking ahead

To grow the initiative further, the City will soon invite service providers to support and expand the Swop Shop initiative.

• A Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the construction of two additional mobile trailers will be advertised soon.
• The Swop Shop operational contracts are expected to be advertised in 2026.

Local service providers are encouraged to look out for these opportunities and be part of the City’s ongoing journey toward cleaner, more sustainable communities.

END

Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town