CAPE TOWN – A Coastal Park Material Recovery Facility (CPMRF) was opened in Muizenberg by Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Tuesday 10 March.
This state-of-the-art facility aims to divert recyclable materials from landfills by reselling these back to manufacturers to produce new products and boost job creation, in which the City of Cape Town has invested R434 million.
Through it it hopes to expand its recycling-processing capabilities and create more job opportunities.
The Coastal Park Landfill in Muizenberg facilitates the disposal of general waste that cannot be re-used or recycled, and there is also a drop-off facility on site for recyclables.
Advanced processing capabilities
The new facility is designed to receive recyclables collected through the City’s door-to-door recycling programme and process mixed materials including plastics, paper, cardboard, glass and metals.
These materials are separated and prepared for resale to manufacturing industries where they become new products.
Currently processing 25 tons of recyclables daily, the facility will eventually expand to handle 65 tons per day at full capacity, significantly increasing waste diversion from landfills.
Economic and environmental benefits
The CPMRF facility has already created 60 jobs for Capetonians, with employment expected to reach approximately 160 positions at full operation, plus additional downstream manufacturing opportunities.
“This Coastal Park facility is a major step forward in the City’s journey towards better waste management and a robust recycling economy,” said Hill-Lewis.
“By recovering recyclable materials before they reach landfill we are extending the life of landfills and saving public money while helping the environment and creating 160 jobs.”
Mayco member for Urban Waste Management Grant Twigg emphasised the facility’s role in supporting separation-at-source programmes.
“This facility enables the City to increase the diversion of recyclable material from landfill significantly and helps ensure materials with economic value are recovered and returned to the economy.”
Community participation essential
The facility’s success depends heavily on resident participation in recycling programmes.
The City encourages households to continue separating recyclable materials including paper, cardboard, plastics, tins and glass from general waste.
Accessing recycling services
Residents can use the City’s Waste Recyclers Map to determine if they live in areas served by recycling collection services, connect with private collectors or locate City drop-off facilities.
“The success of facilities such as the Coastal Park MRF depends on residents continuing to separate their recyclables,” Twigg noted.
“Every household that participates plays a role in helping Cape Town become a cleaner, more sustainable city.”
The facility forms part of Cape Town’s long-term strategy to build a robust recycling economy while extending landfill life spans and recovering valuable materials that would otherwise be permanently lost to waste disposal.
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