Until a contractor can be appointed to perform garden greens chipping at these sites, commercial entities may be referred to alternative drop-off sites, or landfills if their load is greater than 1,5 ton, or they are dropping-off multiple loads per day.

In order to minimize inconvenience, the City is temporarily accepting and storing garden waste at the closed Bellville site while the matter is being resolved.

The appointment of a chipping contractor has been delayed due to the emergence of a new invasive species of beetle, the polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle that lives in the trunks and branches of trees. This species was detected in April this year, and the City’s invasive species unit has been working since then to address the problem. Specifications for the previous three-year tender were drafted prior to this emergence and did not contain requirements for dealing with the threat posed by such species. 

While the new tender specifications are being developed, and the bidding process on a revised long-term tender unfolds, the City’s Solid Waste Department is working toward the appointment of contractors who can perform the chipping process in the interim. All possible avenues to get an interim service up and running as quickly as possible are being explored. In the meantime garden waste disposed at drop-off sites is being transported to landfills on a daily basis where it is being stockpiled until an interim contractor is appointed.

A list of the City’s drop-off facilities and landfill sites, and details of their operating hours and location, are available on the City’s website. All of these facilities will accept green waste, except for Sea Point, Woodstock and Retreat which are closed for upgrade construction.

The City sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused and we are doing our utmost to ensure the inconvenience to those who make use of these sites is minimized.

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