Where can I take my recycling?

You can dispose of residential or commercial waste recyclables via several waste disposal services, including drop-off sites, private recycling collection services or buy-back centres, industrial symbiosis, waste exchange or community-based programmes.

Find out what household and commercial waste can be recycled with our Recycling guide.

Drop-off sites

The City’s drop-off facilities primarily receive household waste, but also accept a limited amount of commercial recyclables, garden waste or builders’ rubble, provided you use a vehicle with a carrying capacity of 1,5 tonnes or less. To understand more about our drop-offs, please watch our waste and recycling drop-off video.

There are also numerous private or community drop-offs in Cape Town, some of which welcome commercial or industrial recyclables. See our Waste Recyclers Map.

Find out how to dispose of harmful hazardous waste.

Private recycling collectors

You can arrange for a private recycling collector to collect weekly or monthly. Some may charge a fee to ensure the sustainability of their business models, so shop around for the service which suits your requirements. You can find out which recycling collectors collect recyclables near your business by visiting our Waste Recyclers Map.

Think Twice Programme

Think Twice is our free door-to-door recycling collection programme for homes and businesses in selected areas around Cape Town. Instead of disposing of all your waste together in one black bag, we encourage you to think twice and use two bags.

All you have to do is separate the recyclable material into one bag and the non-recyclable waste into the other bag. Place your recyclable material on the pavement outside, and our kerbside collection service provider will come and collect it.

Use our Waste Recyclers Map to find out if you live in a Think Twice area.

Once you have contacted the relevant service provider and registered for the programme, you will receive the relevant recycling information, a clear bag or 140L bin (area specific) and a weekly kerbside recycling collection.

Extension of recycling service 2023/24

From 1 July 2023, we will be introducing the Think Twice waste separation at source programme, which is linked to our new Woodstock Mini-material Recovery Facility (Mini-MRF). This free door-to-door dry recycling collection service requires your participation in contributing meaningfully towards responsible waste management for sustainability. 

For this new fortnightly service (every second week of the month) your contractor Ngcokoto Waste Services will be collecting your dry recyclables for sorting and recycling.

Download the service schedule.

Extension of recycling service 2025

From November 2025, the Think Twice programme will be extending its area of operation to the southern parts of the metro and recyclables will be processed at the newly commissioned Materials Recovery Facility at the Coastal Park Disposal Facility. The following suburbs will now be serviced:

• Grassy Park
• Pelican Heights
• Plumstead
• Constantia
• Peacock Close
• Wynberg
• Tokai (north of Tokai Road)
• Strandfontein
• Ottery
• Bergvliet
• Diep River
• Zeekoeivlei
• Wetton
• Meadowridge 
  

Please note: Recycling collection day is on the same day as your normal refuse collection. Please use the clear recycling bags to separate your recycling from ordinary waste.

Damaged/stolen recycle bin

If your 140 litre recycle bin has been stolen or damaged, call 0860 103 089, or report it online:

Buy-back centres

You can exchange your recyclables for cash at buy-back centres across Cape Town. Usually the recyclables are weighed to calculate the payment received. Find your nearest buy-back centre by visiting our waste recyclers map.

Waste exchange programmes

Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP)

WISP is an industrial symbiosis programme, facilitated by GreenCape, which includes the potential exchange of waste and other resources such as energy, space or logistics. This free service encourages businesses to connect and exchange unused or underutilised materials and resources. It also includes business opportunity workshops where potential exchange partners are invited to participate.

Find out more about WISP.

Community programmes

Contact your local community centres, churches or schools to see if they are running any recycling or re-use programmes, or explore our recycling activities and programmes by following the City Connect links below.

Contact us

Waste Services Department

Telephone:
0860 103 089

Email:
wastewise@capetown.gov.za

Document downloads

• 1. Dry Waste Collection Schedule and Map

     30/04/2020, Map,Schedule - 1.1 MB

  2. Recycling FAQs

     30/11/2021, FAQs - 203.4 KB

  3. Think Twice Recyclers Map How-to Guide

     19/05/2020, Guideline - 826.1 KB

  4. Waste Recyclers Map Pamphlet

     02/02/2022, Pamphlet - 685 KB

  5. Waste Recyclers' Database Registration Form

     15/12/2021, Form - 245.8 KB

  6. Woodstock Recycling Service Schedule 2023/24

     28/06/2023, Schedule - 2.2 MB