With the Easter break and a string of public holidays around the corner, many Cape Town residents might be wondering if their bins will be emptied as usual.
Luckily, the City of Cape Town has stepped in to ease concerns—and the good news is, you probably won’t need to change your routine.
Bin Collection to Continue Despite Holidays
According to city officials, waste collection will not be taking a holiday.
Refuse pickup is set to carry on as usual over Good Friday (18 April), Easter Monday (21 April), Freedom Day (28 April) and Workers’ Day (1 May).
So if your regular bin day falls on one of these dates, it’s business as usual—your trash will still be collected.
What to Expect If There Are Delays
That said, the city has given a friendly heads-up that minor delays could still happen.
Think traffic congestion or unexpected staff shortages—it’s not guaranteed, but it’s possible.
If your bin doesn’t get emptied on the day you expected, they’re asking you to leave it out each day until it gets collected, excluding Easter Sunday (20 April) when no collection takes place.
The city has reassured residents that any backlog caused by delays should be cleared by the next scheduled collection day at the latest.
In the meantime, if you find your bin filling up fast, the City encourages recycling and composting to ease the load.
Drop-Off Site Hours Adjusted for the Holidays
While bin collection remains mostly unaffected, drop-off sites around Cape Town will be closed on Good Friday (18 April).
On the rest of the holiday dates—including the Easter weekend (19–21 April), Freedom Day (28 April), and Workers’ Day (1 May)—these sites will be operating on adjusted public holiday hours.
If you’re planning a trip to a drop-off site, be sure to check the city’s website for specific locations and times to avoid disappointment.