Khayelitsha residents join City’s composting drive

12 September 2025

As part of the Mayor’s service blitz in Khayelitsha on Thursday, 11 September, the City’s Urban Waste Management Directorate handed out home composting containers to local households.

The City of Cape Town’s commitment to organic waste diversion took another step forward today as residents in Khayelitsha received home composting containers to help them turn kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost. 
 
The handover formed part of the Mayor’s latest service blitz, where a range of City services were brought directly into the community.
 
‘More than 50 000 households across Cape Town have already received composters, and demand keeps growing as residents see the benefits of reducing their waste footprint,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.

Composting at home helps households and the city at large by:
• Reducing the amount of food and garden waste that goes to landfill, which cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
• Freeing up space in wheelie bins and keeping them cleaner.
• Providing a low-cost, sustainable source of compost for home gardens.
 
Diverting organic waste away from landfills is a vital part of the City’s climate response. When food and garden waste breaks down in landfill without oxygen, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas more than 20 times stronger than carbon dioxide. By composting at home instead, residents help reduce these harmful emissions while creating a useful product for their gardens.

‘We are excited to extend this opportunity to Khayelitsha residents. Composting empowers families to turn what would otherwise be waste into a valuable resource for food gardens, helping to lower grocery bills and support local food security. Compost can also be shared with neighbours or donated to community gardens,’ said Alderman Twigg.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office