In light of Recycling Week, the City’s Solid Waste Management Department is reflecting on its Swop Shop Pilot Project that complements existing recycling services. This initiative is targeted at reducing illegal dumping and waste to landfill, while providing economic upliftment to densely populated areas. It was trialled in six communities last year. The pilot gave residents the opportunity to exchange recyclables for items such as non-perishable food, toys, books and clothing. The City is now planning to extend this service within the successfully trialled areas, and explore expansion to new densely populated areas due to its success in reducing illegal dumping and littering.
The City of Cape Town is excited to report that residents in Harare (Khayelitsha), Brooklyn, Gugulethu, Delft, Wesbank, and Bloekombos collectively diverted more than 98 tons of recyclables at the City’s Recycling Swop Shop during the five-month trial period. These items were exchanged for non-perishable food, toys, books and clothing, that were supplied by a service provider.
How does the Swop Shop work?
Residents were encouraged to visit the City’s custom-built, mobile Swop Shop trailer, stationed in the selected areas for set time slots, and bring along their clean recyclables.
Cool drink bottles, detergent bottles, rigid plastic items, aluminium and steel cans were among the items residents could trade through a voucher system. For example:
- One bag of white paper equaled a R20 voucher
- Two bags of newspaper equaled a R10 voucher
- Two full bags of plastic equaled a R10 voucher
Residents’ most favoured grocery items for ‘purchase’ included bread/ rolls, fish oil, vinegar, salt, various spices, canned food, luxury groceries (sweets, chocolates, lollipops, chips, biscuits etc.), coffee, tea, soya mince, jam, peanut butter, fruit, vegetables, toiletries, washing powder, soap, flour, maize meal, rice and sugar.
The trial period took place in February and March 2020 and continued from October to December 2020 due to the pandemic and in line with Covid-19 protocols.
Findings
The City has monitored the Shop Swop pilot project aimed at exploring different approaches to facilitating waste minimisation while highlighting the economic value of recyclables.
These are some of the findings:
- Cumulatively, plastic made up 53,1 tons of the 98,7 tons collected, while polyethylene terephthalate (PET) alone accounted for 38 tons.
- Parking the Swop Shop trailer at convenient locations, bringing the initiative closer to the community, encouraged community participation and waste diversion from landfill.
- It contributed to a cleaner environment with community members picking up recyclable material from the neighbouring fields.
Going forward
‘The success of this Swop Shop pilot project is paving a way for this initiative to expand and reach more vulnerable communities in future.
‘This very exciting Swop Shop initiative innovatively encourages residents to recycle while supporting a greater goal to divert waste from landfill and helping to keep areas clean and reduce illegal dumping.
‘Looking back, this initiative could not have been trialled at a better time to offer residents, who have been hard hit by the economic challenges of the pandemic, some assistance with basic food items.
‘All residents had to do was ensure that the recyclable items were rinsed and sorted before bringing them to trade. By doing so, they have also contributed to the City’s overall aim of diverting a minimum of two tons of recyclables per day through the Swop Shop initiative. Every item, no matter how small, adds up and makes a difference.
‘This pilot project marks an important landmark as it has required much time, research and preparation. The findings have provided key insights into the broader exploration of how to foster economic opportunity associated with waste diversion.
‘The recycling space is one that is constantly evolving, and subject to fluctuating market value like any other commodity. The City is committed to not only staying abreast of international trends, but conducting thorough research at a local level to attain an in-depth understanding of habits, solutions, and opportunities,’ said Alderman Xanthea Limberg, the Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste.
The City is proud to add the Swop Shop research initiative to its range of waste diversion initiatives that allow us to work directly with packaging and recycling industry bodies, supporting SMME development in the recycling space, and entering into partnerships with service providers and non-profit organisations to help drive widespread adoption of economically viable green economy solutions.
This was one of the initiatives highlighted in the Local Authority Recycling Initiative category at the PETCO award, where the City won first place. See here.
Drop-off facilities and more recycling opportunities:
Residents can visit one of the City’s free drop off facilities should they want to recycle. See the list of drop-off sites and what each one accepts: https://bit.ly/2Z7klMh Also feel free to visit the City’s recyclers map to further explore your recycling options.