Organic waste diversion efforts continue

23 July 2025

The roll-out of compost containers to the community continued in Subcouncil 11, at Vangate Mall, during the Mayor’s service blitz, joined by Bingo the anti-litter mascot.

The City is pleased to report that our home composting programme continues to create fertile ground for compost culture to take root in Cape Town. The latest roll-out saw bins distributed to residents from communities including Manenberg, Athlone, Hanover Park, Bridgetown and more.
 
‘More than 50 000 residents have been issued with home composting containers so far, and my office continues to field many enquiries from residents who are interested in reducing their carbon footprint through composting,’ said Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management.
 
By taking up composting, residents are able to:
• Free up refuse bin space at home and leave bins cleaner.
• Reduce the amount of space being used at landfills
• Nourish their gardens
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions that occur when food waste breaks down in the landfill, and slow down climate change. Composting helps reduce the production of landfill gas that has a global warming potential more than 20 times higher than Carbon Dioxide.

‘The compost made from the bins can also be used to grow fruit and vegetables in home gardens, reducing grocery costs and allowing residents to live more sustainably. It can also be donated or sold to community gardens or local urban farms,’ said Alderman Twigg.
 
Bingo attended the Service Blitz and helped entertain and educate attendees on the benefits of composting. He also shared his anti-litter message, reminding residents that it’s always better to bin-it in a Bingo bin. Littering and dumping is detrimental to environmental health, negatively affecting local ecosystems and creating health risks for communities, especially when waste blocks the flow of water in rivers and canals. Dumping also creates a breeding ground for pests like rats.  

Residents, businesses, schools and community organisations are also reminded that Bingo is available for events. To book Bingo, visit: https://bit.ly/3rTaDLY .
 

Caption 1: Home composting bins were rolled out in Subcouncil 11, at Vangate Mall.
 
 
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office