Why organic waste is the next frontier for landfill diversion

Much of the recycling conversation focuses on packaging — bottles, cans, paper and plastic. But there's an even bigger prize for landfill diversion that often gets overlooked: organic waste. Food scraps and garden waste make up a huge portion of what we bury, and tackling them is the next frontier in Cape Town's waste journey.

The scale of organic waste

Organic waste — food and garden material — typically makes up a very large share of the household and municipal waste stream, often a third or more. That means even excellent recycling of packaging still leaves an enormous quantity of biodegradable material heading to landfill. To seriously reduce what we bury, we have to deal with organics.

The methane problem

Here's why organic waste in landfill is especially harmful. When food and garden waste are buried, they decompose anaerobically — without oxygen — and release methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide over the short term. Landfills are a significant source of methane emissions, and organic waste is the main culprit.

Divert that organic matter and compost it aerobically (with oxygen), and you avoid most of that methane. Organic diversion is therefore one of the most powerful climate actions in waste management.

Beyond climate: the wider benefits

Diverting organics does more than cut methane:

• Saves landfill airspace — a critical concern as Cape Town's sites fill up.
• Creates valuable compost that enriches soil and saves water.
• Reduces leachate — the polluting liquid that organic-heavy landfills produce.
• Supports agriculture by returning nutrients to the land.
• Creates jobs in collection, composting and processing.

Why it's been the "hard" frontier

If organics are such a prize, why haven't they been tackled sooner? Because they're trickier than packaging:

• They're wet and heavy, complicating collection and transport.
• They decompose fast, needing prompt handling.
• They require separation — organics mixed with general waste are hard to recover.
• Infrastructure for large-scale composting and processing takes investment.

But these are solvable challenges, and momentum is building.

The Western Cape's push

The Western Cape and City of Cape Town have recognised organics as a priority, moving to restrict the disposal of organic waste to landfill and encourage diversion through composting and processing. This regulatory push, combined with growing composting infrastructure, is making organic diversion a central pillar of the region's waste strategy.

How organics get diverted

Diversion happens at several scales:

• Home composting — households turning their own scraps into soil.
• Community composting — shared schemes at schools, complexes and neighbourhoods.
• Commercial collection — separate organic collection from businesses, markets and gardens.
• Industrial composting and processing — large-scale facilities turning organics into compost or energy.

What you can do

• Compost at home — even a small bin or bokashi system diverts a lot.
• Separate organics from general waste.
• Support organic collection where it's offered.
• Reduce food waste in the first place — the best outcome of all.

The next big win

Packaging recycling has come a long way, and it remains essential. But the next great leap in landfill diversion — and one of the biggest climate wins available in waste — lies in organics. As Cape Town works towards a circular, low-waste future, food and garden waste are where some of the largest gains are waiting.

Diverting organics complements recycling perfectly: compost your food and garden waste, recycle your packaging, and you'll keep the vast majority of your waste out of landfill. To recycle the rest and turn it into value, partner with WasteGo Green.