In Langa in Cape Town, an approach to waste management is quietly changing how an entire community thinks about food scraps. What was once destined for distant landfills is now being transformed into valuable compost, creating jobs and supporting local food security in the process.
The localised organic waste initiative, funded by AfriFOODlinks and implemented through a partnership between Waste-ED, SA Urban Food and Farming Trust (SAUFFT), Ranyaka and BiobiN South Africa, shows how treating waste as a resource can improve urban food environments.
BiobiN reports that over recent months, the project has partnered with the City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management department to divert approximately four tonnes of residential waste monthly from the City’s Bellville organics composting site into Langa’s local system. This trial partnership has generated crucial data on keeping organic resources within the community to directly benefit residents.
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Tackling Complex Challenges
The project was initially designed to service informal traders and meat markets – a sector that had proven difficult to manage because of the complexity of meat and ash waste. To effectively process these high-volume organic offcuts and stove ash, the initiative integrated residential food scraps to balance the composting mix.
“By establishing a dedicated depot using a closed BiobiN system, the project successfully diverts these waste streams while significantly improving hygiene and preventing pest issues at the trading site,” explains Brian Küsel, director of BiobiN South Africa.
He adds that by processing waste on-site with the BiobiN in-vessel composting system, the project solves the logistical and financial burden of long-haul transport and external processing fees. “Retaining organic waste locally transforms a potential downstream burden into high-quality compost that supports community gardens, schools and household food security.”
This approach creates a local organic waste value chain that offers job creation opportunities for community-based collectors while improving soil health for urban farming initiatives.
Environmental Benefits
The environmental advantages extend far beyond the community borders. Küsel emphasises that “this project prioritises resource security by treating food scraps as a valuable community asset rather than a disposal problem. The composting unit within the community allows for efficient, clean processing right where the waste is generated, which eliminates the carbon footprint of heavy trucking and provides an immediate supply of compost for local growers.”
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Aligning with National Goals
Küsel says the initiative perfectly aligns with priorities outlined in the recently published draft National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) 2026. “With national data showing that organic matter still comprises over 40% of waste sent to South African landfills –contributing significantly to methane emissions – the NWMS 2026 mandates a radical shift toward total organic waste diversion by 2030.”
Community engagement has proven to be the driving force behind the project’s success. “Recent waste audits demonstrate a strong appetite for localised composting, with residents showing a willingness to separate waste at the source,” says Candice Mostert, founder and director of Waste-ED. “The residents of Langa have proven that localised waste management is both viable and desired.”
Governance and Growth
To ensure long-term sustainability and replicability, the project has established the Langa Waste Forum, a governance body designed to map waste flows and connect the informal sector directly with City departments and circular economy actors. “The success of this model depends on collaborative investment,” Mostert explains. “We are inviting new companies to come on board as funding partners to support the scaling of this hybrid system. Your partnership will directly contribute to critical waste diversion, local job creation and the transformation of Langa’s organic waste into a permanent community resource that supports local farming and food security.”
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