THE FUSE

In the heart of Cape Town’s busiest townships, a simple bag of plastic is doing something truly special: putting dinner on the table and school shoes on children’s feet.

Cape Town, South Africa (05 February 2026) – For disadvantaged families whose daily grind is trying to put food on the table, the City of Cape Town is helping residents turn recyclables into everyday essentials like groceries, toiletries, and school supplies.

Through the mobile Swop Shop, recycling has gotten closer to home. Residents bring their recyclables to the Swop Shop and exchange them for items of value, particularly grocery essentials.

Since August 2025, 52 tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill, while families received R161,000 worth of goods in return.

A Delft resident, Ruth Sinclair, shared that women benefit greatly from the initiative as it allows them to obtain food to feed their children. She added that although she has tried to encourage others to participate in recycling, some unfortunately have yet to recognise the rewards the initiative offers.

According to the City’s Senior Professional Officer for Waste Services, Noel Johannessen, in the first year of the project (2019/20), just under 100 tonnes of recyclable waste were collected, benefitting the community. In the second year, it was just under 90 tonnes – proving the service to be quite effective.

The Swop Shop is funded by the City and supported through the sale of collected recyclables, but private businesses are also invited to contribute. Donations of goods or supplies help the initiative expand and reach more families.

The service is available in Delft, Wesbank, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Lwandle, and Nomzamo at two locations to ensure as many people as possible can benefit.

This simple idea is changing lives, one bag at a time, and bringing cleaner, more sustainable neighbourhoods to communities across the city.

Sources: City of Cape Town

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