Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

With reference to his reply to question 3 of 11 July 2025:

1. (a) What progress has been made since July 2025 to transition these specific munici-pal pilot projects into fully scaled, formal municipal services and (b) which munici-palities, if any, have successfully scaled their programmes over the past year;

REPLY:

While implementation has not yet scaled significantly, the Oudtshoorn Municipality has sustained its Separation at Source (S@S) initiative which was first piloted in 2024 across two consecutive planning cycles. Given the program’s established operational stability and demonstrated positive outcomes, strategic consultations are currently underway to expand its scope and implementation. One of the key barriers to full implementation is ensuring sufficient budget for rolling it out to all areas, which is the primary reason for many remaining in pilot phase. Logistically separate collections would need to be factored for the separated materials to not contaminate the material.

Currently 18 municipalities have successfully implemented the S@S initiative, while the remaining 7 have not yet established the programme. Cape Winelands District indicates 5 active implementations, encompassing Breede Valley, Drakenstein, Langeberg, Stellenbosch, and Witzenberg Municipality. Garden Route District leads regional implementation with 6 active local municipalities (Hessequa, Oudtshoorn, Bitou, George, Mossel Bay, and Knysna). Kannaland Municipality is the only municipality in this district that has not implemented S@S programmes. Overberg District Municipality demonstrates strong adoption with 4 active implementations, covering Cape Agulhas, Overstrand, Swellendam, and Theewaterskloof Municipality. West Coast District Municipality has 2 active implementations in Bergrivier and Saldanha Bay Municipality, while Cederberg, Swartland, and Matzikama Municipality do not have the programme active, however active engagements with Cederberg are ongoing for the municipality to begin its implementation. The Central Karoo District Municipality records no implementation, as Beaufort West, Prince Albert, and Laingsberg Municipality all do not have active implementation. The City of Cape Town independently accounts for one successful implementation. A key highlight of the current roll-out is the adaptation of the S@S programme to socio-economically diverse regions. The following municipalities have successfully expanded their S@S programmes to formally include informal areas, with Drakenstein (notably integrated informal waste pickers into the system), Hessequa, Bitou, Mossel Bay and Cape Agulhas Municipality.

2. what interventions has his Department implemented to resolve the (a) teething problems associated with the extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations and (b) infrastructural challenges blocking local government partnerships with product responsibility organisations (PROs);

REPLY:

On 16 August 2024, the Department hosted an EPR engagement session in Cape Town. Co-sponsored by various PROs, the event assembled 129 key stakeholders including Municipal Mayors, Managers, WMOs, Chief Financial Officers and Local Economic Development practitioners. The session provided a vital platform for PROs to present their initiative – particularly those supporting socio-economic development through waste picker integration and entrepreneurship, and to outline available services. It also facilitated direct dialogue and networking, fostering a more collaborative approached to EPR implementation. Discussions centered on how PROs could support municipal priorities such as landfill diversion, combating illegal dumping, and rolling out separation-at-source programmes. A key challenge identified by both parties was the constraints posed by the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and municipal supply chain processes, which complicate formal partnerships. While the strategic importance of MOUs was acknowledged as a necessary framework for PRO support, these agreements were also recognised as foundational expressions of collaborative intent. Ultimately, the event successfully connected municipalities with PROs, providing a direct opportunity to explore and access EPR funding mechanisms to enhance local waste management and advance the circular economy. Several municipalities have since progressed in securing support from PROs following this engagement.

Thus far seven municipalities have taken up support by the PROs within various EPR schemes, these are with and without MOUs signed. Furthermore, more collaborations are in progress and not yet finalised. Some the project assistance provided was the establishment of infrastructure such as buyback centres, equipping these with the necessary equipment and proving materials to the waste pickers who would sell to the buyback centres.

Where uptake of EPR assistance has been initially slow, the Department has also assisted 5 buyback centres with 50 collection trolleys and PPE for approximately 120 waste pickers in George, Plettenberg Bay, Piketberg, Vrendendal and Velddrift.

Concerning the teething problems associated with the EPR Regulations, the Department, in partnership with the PRO CropLife South Africa, is implementing various initiatives to improve the management of obsolete pesticides and contaminated pesticides packaging in the Western Cape. During 2025, the total quantity of obsolete pesticides and contaminated packaging recovered from farmers, state agencies and pest control operators amounted to approximately 124 tons. Current activities include the consolidation and planned disposal of more than five tons of pesticides and contaminated materials; the establishment of consumer drop-off points across the province in collaboration with agricultural distributors and nurseries; and ongoing awareness campaigns targeting farmers and other agricultural stakeholders. The partnership also supports the safe collection, transport and recycling of pesticide waste through certified recyclers, while providing farmers with ongoing access to disposal assistance as part of broader national clean-up efforts.

3. how many additional low-income households have been reached by (a) municipal S@S programmes, (b) swop shops or (c) buyback centres since the last report indicated that only five municipalities were operating in these areas?

REPLY:

Several municipalities have shown great adaptability in their S@S programme with expansions reaching socio-economically diverse regions. This is demonstrated by the successful expansion of the programme into the informal areas by the Drakenstein, Hessequa, Bitou, Mossel Bay, Knysna, and Cape Agulhas municipalities. Drakenstein Municipality’s achievement in integrating informal waste pickers into the system, driving both environmental and social inclusivity must be noted. Exact household counts are not reported by municipalities due to monthly variations in participation by households.

Across the province, 14 municipalities have buyback centres, which play a vital role, especially in low income and informal areas by providing financial or material incentives to the community for their recyclables, contrasting with standard separation-at-source programmes. The regional distribution of these centres reveals distinct patterns and gaps; the Garden Route District leads with 4 municipalities with operational buyback centres, followed closely by the Cape Winelands District, West Coast District, and Overberg District, which each have 3 municipalities with buyback centres. However, significant regional disparities and localised infrastructure gaps persist. The Central Karoo District continues to record zero buyback across all its municipalities, while Swellendam within the Overberg District explicitly notes a complete absence of any operating buyback centres.

8 municipalities across the Province have operational swop shops serving low-income and informal areas by offering immediate incentives in exchange for recyclable waste. The Cape Winelands District demonstrates the highest level of interventions, with 4 municipalities that have operational swop shops. The Overberg District maintains a steady presence with 2 municipalities that reported active swop shops with footprints in Overstrand and Swellendam Municipality. Conversely, the footprint for swop shops remains absent in other districts such as the West Coast, Garden Route and Central Karoo.