Recycling collection days to change in northern suburbs from February

Recycling collection schedules in several northern suburbs and surrounding areas will change from Sunday, February 1, with recycling and general refuse now being collected on the same day, says the City of Cape Town.

The change affects areas serviced by the Think Twice Recycling Service in sub-councils two, five, six and seven. According to the City, the revised schedule follows concerns raised by communities about increased litter and safety risks linked to having separate collection days for refuse and recycling.

By aligning recycling and general waste collection days, residents will only need to place their bins out once a week.

The City says this is expected to help reduce littering and improve overall waste management. The arrangement is already in place in other parts of Cape Town that benefit from the Think Twice service.

A wide range of suburbs will be affected, including Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Bloekombos, Wallacedene, Northpine, Durbanville, Bothasig, Edgemead, Panorama, Bellville suburbs, Parow Industria, and parts of Kuils River, among others.

Residents are reminded not to put bins out earlier than the evening before collection and to remove them from the street as soon as possible after they have been emptied. They are also encouraged to check whether their area falls within the Think Twice service zone by using the City’s online map viewer.

Mayoral committee member for urban waste management, Grant Twigg, said the City expressed gratitude for residents’ engagement on the issue.

“We thank residents for their willingness to recycle and for their engagement on this issue. We are happy to be able to negotiate a solution that works for everyone involved. Recycling is key to protecting our environment, as it helps send less waste to landfills, which reduces carbon emissions,” he said.

Susan Natalie Beardwood from the southern suburbs commented: "I stopped putting out recycling on bin days, as bin pickers scratch and remove some items, and take the rest, or just take the whole bag, and it probably ends up strewn all over, as they only want the tins."

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