The pilot kerbside recycling collection project launched in September last year appears to be in crisis. Of the five areas initially targetted only three are still running. And only one of these - the Atlantic West Coast & Pinelands - seems to be running well.

According to yesterday's report in the Cape Times Barry Coetzee, Manager: Integrated Waste Management at the Cape Town City Council, blamed the problems on "financial difficulties" because of poor business planning and under-tendering.

Footprints recycling centre overloadedThere is a great demand by residents of Cape Town to recycle, but a feasible, city-wide collection scheme is yet to emerge. Residents living in areas where free recycling collection is not available are even paying private enterprises a fee to collect their recycling and take it to community drop off centres.

Abundance Recycling provide a collection service to 800 households (saving 20 tons of waste from landfill monthly), but have had to suspend their service as the Footprints Environment Centre, a small community initiative, cannot handle the volumes and the City Council provides no alternatives for this area of Cape Town.

Michelle Sholto-Douglas, from Footprints, has cited a "lack of support and co-operation from many role players within the waste industry including local government" and "a lack of understanding of on the ground issues, across the board" as some of the reasons for the current predicament.

Despite having over four years experience in running a recycling drop off centre and sorting operation she and members of other community recycling initiatives were not engaged when the City's pilot scheme was being set up. Experience that could have pointed out, for example, that some tenders submitted were undercosted and could never be sustainable for the companies involved.

"In order for this initiative and any others to be successful we all need to work together, from public participation, grass roots - right though to government. For some unknown reason this does not happen within the present structures of waste management. Community and powers that be are on different planets", says Michelle.

"The reality is the City of Cape Town has a WASTE CRISES and very few are trying to help address this issue. There is and has been much talking and planning for eons but what is needed is facilities on the ground. Not next year but today. It is time for the citizens of Cape Town to stop complaining about the problem and stand together and find solutions. The responsibility of dealing with the on the ground issues can no longer [only] be on the shoulders of organisations like Footprints, Abundance and others," she continued.

Gary Fort from Abundance said that he approached Wasteplan, operators of the household collection scheme for Pinelands, Parklands, Bloubergstrand and Melkbosstrand, to see whether he could use their Maitland processing centre for drop off. Whilst Wasteplan was keen to help, they reported that the City Council said it would be a breach of contract.

"It's time to go back to the drawing board", says Gary.

So if you're in Cape Town and would like to recycle, but are frustrated at the Council's slow progress, please let them know they need to pull finger:

The Mayors Office - mayor.mayor@capetown.gov.za - 021 400 1300
Solid Waste – City of Cape Town – Leander Van Oordt - leander.van_oordt@capetown.gov.za - 021 400 1111
Solid Waste – City of Cape Town – Southern Suburbs - Ncedo Mcani - 021 703 8318 - ncedo.mcani@capetown.gov.za
The Fairest Cape Association - faircape@iafrica.com - 021 462 2040