Every single day, the CCID turns urban waste into new opportunities that not only keep Cape Town’s vibrant CBD clean but also empower community members to rebuild their lives!
Cape Town, South Africa (09 October 2026) – It’s not hard to imagine how a big, busy and bustling CBD like Cape Town’s can accumulate a great deal of litter each day.
It is an eyesore and an environmental and sanitation concern – but one that the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) is committed to tackling every day.
Through the CCID Urban Management department’s recycling initiative, single-use plastics, paper and cans are collected and sorted by hardworking volunteers, diverting recyclable waste from local landfills and helping to prevent urban litter.
“Litter. We wage a war on it every day in town to safeguard our environment and keep urban decay at bay. If it is not collected every day, it winds up in our stormwater drains and gets into our urban waterways,” the CCID team explains.
Not only does the recycling initiative reduce waste on the city’s streets, but it also provides work for people in need through the CCID’s NGO partner, Straatwerk’s Opruim Project – a work rehabilitation initiative run by Straatwerk that focuses on assisting destitute, desperate, or otherwise deemed “unemployable” people.
Recycling and cleaning crews work in multiple rotations, including day and late-night shifts. They sort the waste before handing managed loads over to the municipality’s Solid Waste Management team.
CCID Urban Management precinct manager Carlisle Marankey recently reported that the teams conduct their rounds and check green bins for recyclables.
“We have two teams of four members each who use special trolleys to collect waste from green bins in town, as well as from various businesses in the CBD that support the initiative.”
In the last financial year, they collected 25 tonnes of recyclable material from more than 350 green bins across town and from several CBD businesses.
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