A growing awareness of the need to change the way we manage our waste means that people are demanding ways of separating compostable from non compostable waste so that : (a) the resources may be reused and (b) mixed, greenhouse producing waste, is not added to burgeoning landfill sites. Currently a portion of Hout Bay’s dry waste (generated by formal housing and some business and industry) is recycled. Uncontaminated greens brought to the City’s all sorts site, IY, are chipped and a number of households compost their own greens and kitchen waste, to prevent biodegradable waste from ending up in landfill. Hout Bay has a vision of avoiding the transportation of all waste to landfill and, instead, sorting waste generated so that it may be composted, re-used or recycled. Our Vision of zero waste 2010 views waste as a resource and not a cost to Hout Bay. Having effective waste solutions will mean: saving space at landfill sites; avoiding the creation of noxious gasses and poisoning ground water at landfill sites; and, re-using minerals and resources (by recycling plastic, metal, paper and glass products), rather than extracting raw products via mining and foresting endeavours to recreate what we have just discarded. 1. FORMAL HOUSING Collection of mixed wet/dry waste: Regular door to door wheelie bin collection system by AfroWaste, the City’s service provider, via tip up truck. Recycling: Door to door collection of dry recyclables by the City’s contractor, Wasteplan. This service is not available to formal housing in Imizamu Yethu (IY) or the Hangberg. Drop Off Site at Imizamo Yethu (IY) available as a second option whereby Hout Bay Recycling (HBR) performs the recycling function for the City’s all sorts site management contractor, Interwaste. 2. INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS Collection of mixed wet/dry waste:  Black bags for mixed waste issued to and filled bags collected from individual households on a regular basis by a City contractor. Black bags carried to skips by collectors . Skips emptied regularly on Municipal collection days. Recycling: No recycling initiatives in place. 3. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY Collection of mixed wet/dry waste: Regular collection via wheelie bin system from each business/industry as in 1 above. Recycling: Should a business be on the household collection route, the business owner could place their dry recyclables in clear bags on the curb side on waste collection days. The City’s service provider will collect all recyclables placed in clear bags on their household route. This option is not available to business/industry in the Hangberg, IY or on the Harbour. 4. SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, POLICE STATION, FIRE DEPT, ETC: Collection of mixed wet/dry waste: Regular collection via wheelie bin system from each entity as in 1 above. Recycling: As for 3 above. 5. PUBLIC SPACES (roads, verges, parks, bins for refuse disposal in public spaces). Collection of mixed wet/dry waste: By either, centre management, or, one of the City’s service providers Recycling: No recycling initiatives in place.   6. MUNICIPAL GARDEN DROP OFF SITE AT IMIZAMO YETHO: Drop off facility, managed by the City’s service provider, Interwaste, for following waste items:dry recycling, scrap metal, used motor oil, garden greens for mulching, building rubble and household ‘garage waste’ destined for landfill. 1. Recycling education Education for learners will be continued via 3Rs ‘mentorship and champion’ system. Each school in Hout Bay has a 3Rs mentor. Each school also has an environmental champion in the school (generally a teacher) that ensures that recycling is put into and kept in practice at their school. The concept of composting wet waste will become a practical part of this programme as food gardening in schools are encouraged and implemented in partnership with other Hout Bay environmental organisations. The mentorship programme will be extended to business, industry and other institutions eg: churches, SAPS, Child welfare, the Fire station, etc. Residents of informal and formal housing in IY and the Hangberg, will receive education as to ‘why’ we should and ‘how’ we may recycle via community and block leaders. Education of formal housing in the rest of Hout Bay will continue via the City/Wasteplan’s media and door to door pamphlet drop education programme. 3Rs has a database of Hout Bay waste generators (business, industry, schools, and other institutions). This database is a useful tool for education and contact with the community. 2. Collection of all dry recyclable waste generated by households, institutions, business and industry At this time, partially in operation. The City’s contractor, Wasteplan, collects dry recyclables placed in clear bags on the curb on its collection route. This route consists of the formal housing area of Hout Bay. Current Waste management system  in IY and the Hangberg to be altered slightly so that clear bags are issued to households together with black bags. Black bag collectors will continue to transport waste (clear and black bags) to skips. Clear bags will then be transported by community based recycling initiatives for sorting and sale back to recyclers.Industry and business to divide their waste into 2 bags. Should the business be on Wasteplan’s collection route, they may place their clear bags on the curb side on waste collection days. Should the business and industry not be on the Recycling service provider’s route, their clear bags will be collected by community recycling initiatives.Street cleaners to be equipped with clear bags for recyclable curb side waste and their reusable bags for compostable waste. Recyclable waste to go to community sorting facilities and compostable waste to a composting facility. Two bin system needs to be created for public bins so that when a member of the public wishes to discard an item, they have the option of ‘thinking twice.’   3. Compostable Waste All compostable waste should be composted in one of the following ways: - The chipping facility at the City all sorts drop off facility, IY. - Household worm and compost bins for garden, kitchen and pet waste - Composted at local farms and community gardens. Eg A local organic gardener in Hout Bay offers a wet waste collection service to restaurants whereby kitchen waste is either fed to pigs or dug into trench beds. 4. Further refinement of Municipal all sorts drop off site at IY: Minimise waste destined for landfill by offering the following stations: - Collection point for recycling. - Scrap metal skip. - Building rubble skip. - Used motor and cooking oil. - Chipping area for garden greens suitable for large chipper. - Clean undercover, ‘Boneyard’, area, in a position safe to receive foot traffic, where     public may drop useful unwanted items (carpets, furniture, paint, building material,   etc) for free collection by residents. - Worm bin area – run by a worm co-op member. - Small mulching area for garden waste not suitable for chipping (eg grass clippings    weed sods etc) – run by another worm bin co-op member. - Wood area – wood co-op to sort/clean/chop wood for building and firewood. - Landfill skips with scale. Members of the public may place their waste in any of the      previous sections at no cost, but to dump into landfill skip will cost per kg. With the support and partnership of the City, the above vision may be adopted at no great monetary  expense to the City. The community of Hout Bay is ready to embrace and put into practice ‘zero waste to landfill by 2010.’