Closing the Loop with HDPE: 50/Fifty Wheelie Bin

This case study by GreenCape examines the City of Cape Town's (CCT) '50/Fifty' refuse bin procurement programme, which uses circular procurement to integrate recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) into municipal infrastructure. By requiring bins to be made from 50% recyclate and implementing a closed-loop exchange system for damaged bins, the city has reduced landfill waste, lowered procurement costs, and supported local job creation and industry resilience.

• The City of Cape Town (CCT) implemented a circular procurement policy in November 2014 for its refuse bin supply, requiring that bins be comprised of 50% HDPE recyclate, be recyclable at end of life, and be made from 100% local content with a minimum lifespan of 10 years.
• The programme utilizes a closed-loop exchange system where the winning contractor collects condemned or damaged bins and processes them into new ones, with the contractor providing one free bin for every 65kg of damaged material supplied.
• Between November 2014 and November 2020, the initiative diverted between 1,132 and 1,156 tonnes of HDPE from landfills, saving an estimated 1,053 to 1,121 cubic metres of landfill airspace.
• The 50/Fifty bins provide direct cost savings to the CCT, costing between R25.00 and R28.00 less per unit than 100% virgin bins. This resulted in savings of R9 million to R10.1 million since inception, with an additional R6.7 million saved through the provision of 18,328 free bins via the exchange system.
• The procurement specification has supported local employment and business stability, creating 13 permanent and 18 part-time local jobs. The 2019/20 tender secured R145 million in revenue for the contractor over three years, providing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The initiative has reduced Scope 2 CO2 eq emissions by 1,708 tonnes since inception, based on a calculated saving of 0.86 kg CO2eq per kg of HDPE, or 4.3 kg CO2 eq per 50/fifty bin produced.
• By substituting 1,986 tonnes of virgin HDPE with recyclate, the CCT has unlocked that amount of high-quality virgin material for more demanding markets, such as food-grade packaging.

APA

GreenCape (2020). Closing the Loop with HDPE: 50/Fifty Wheelie Bin. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_27_1_21-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Closing the Loop with HDPE: 50/Fifty Wheelie Bin. 2020. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_27_1_21-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Closing the Loop with HDPE: 50/Fifty Wheelie Bin |date=2020 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_27_1_21-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2020closing, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Closing the Loop with HDPE: 50/Fifty Wheelie Bin}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2020}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE_RESILIENCE_CASE_STUDY_27_1_21-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }