OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN

This briefing by GreenCape examines the market and implementation of container-based sanitation (CBS) in Cape Town's informal settlements. It details the current use of portable flush toilets (PFTs) and shared container toilets, incorporates community feedback on design and servicing, and explores future opportunities for the beneficiation of human waste into valuable products.

• The City of Cape Town (CCT) faces a growing demand for sanitation in informal settlements, with projections suggesting that 53% of all new households over the next 20 years will be informal, potentially reaching almost 900,000 households by 2040.
• The CCT utilizes two primary CBS options when full-flush toilets are not feasible: portable flush toilets (PFTs), which are issued to individual households, and shared container toilets, which are housed in precast concrete structures and intended to serve at least one unit per five households.
• The current market for non-sewered sanitation in CCT's informal settlements is valued at approximately R235 million per year, comprising ~R120 million for PFTs and container toilets and ~R115 million for chemical toilets.
• Community focus groups indicated that while CBS is generally accepted as a safe alternative to shared toilets, there are significant needs for improvement in durability and servicing. Specific concerns include the tendency of PFTs to leak or smell when full, the need for more robust materials to prevent cracking, and the requirement for reliable cleaning schedules to avoid health hazards at collection points.
• Currently, excreta from CBS is treated at the Borcherds Quarry Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), but there are opportunities to divert this waste for beneficiation into products like fertilizers, animal feed, or fuel. This is more viable if diverted before the WWTW to avoid contamination from industrial wastewater.
• Emerging beneficiation options in Cape Town include Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae farming for protein and fuel, the production of fuel briquettes to replace coal in industrial boilers, and pyrolysis to create syngas and bio-char.
• Regulatory shifts are influencing waste management, including a 2019 nationwide ban on liquid waste disposal to landfill and a Western Cape target to reduce organic waste landfilling by 100% by 2027. New Norms and Standards for Organic Waste Treatment (GN1984 of 2022) aim to reduce the 'red tape' of the costly and time-consuming Waste Management License process.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Container-based-Sanitation-Case-Study-1-1.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Container-based-Sanitation-Case-Study-1-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Container-based-Sanitation-Case-Study-1-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendopportunities, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Container-based-Sanitation-Case-Study-1-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }