OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTAINER-BASED SANITATION IN CAPE TOWN

The document examines the deployment of container-based sanitation (CBS) in Cape Town, where the number of informal households is projected to reach almost 900,000 by 2040. It details the current use of portable flush toilets (PFTs) and shared container toilets, noting that while communities generally accept these as alternatives to full-flush systems, there are significant needs for improved durability and more reliable servicing. The brief also explores the potential for a circular economy by beneficiating excreta into products like fertilizers or fuel, highlighting regulatory shifts such as the 2019 liquid waste landfill ban and new organic waste treatment standards that may reduce barriers for local providers.

• Informal settlement growth in Cape Town is projected to be significant, with estimates suggesting that 53% of all new households over the next 20 years will be informal, potentially leading to nearly 900,000 informal households by 2040.
• The City of Cape Town (CCT) currently utilizes two primary CBS options: 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 estimated at approximately R235 million per year, comprising ~R120 million for PFTs and container toilets and ~R115 million for chemical toilets.
• Community focus groups indicate that while CBS is accepted when full-flush toilets are unavailable, there are critical needs for more robust designs to prevent cracking and leaks, and for more reliable servicing schedules to avoid health hazards and odours at collection points.
• There is potential to transition from treating CBS waste at the Borcherds Quarry Wastewater Treatment Works to local beneficiation into products such as fertilizers, animal feed, or fuel briquettes, which could lower service costs through additional revenue.
• Regulatory changes are driving the shift toward waste beneficiation, including a nationwide ban on liquid waste disposal to landfill effective August 2019 and a requirement for Western Cape municipalities to reduce organic waste landfilling by 100% by 2027.
• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has introduced Norms and Standards for Organic Waste Treatment (GN1984 of 2022) to reduce regulatory barriers by replacing the costly and time-consuming Waste Management License and Environmental Impact Assessment process for certain activities.

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} }