Case Study 005 Apples to Apples

This case study describes a circular economy collaboration facilitated by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) between Cape Town Market, Elgin Fruit Juice, and Ywaste. The partnership diverts organic food waste from landfills to produce electricity via anaerobic digestion and creates compost through a reverse-logistics loop.

• The collaboration between Cape Town Market, Elgin Fruit Juice, and Ywaste results in the annual diversion of 1,400 tonnes of organic waste from landfills, which is equivalent in size to half an Olympic swimming pool.
• The project generates significant environmental and economic benefits, including a saving of 1,000 tonnes of fossil greenhouse gases—comparable to the electricity use of 270 households—and an annual saving of R550,000 for Cape Town Market on waste services.
• Elgin Fruit Juice operates an anaerobic digester in Grabouw that requires 100 tonnes of material per day to consistently produce 528 kWh of electricity. To supplement its feedstock, the company collects approximately 21 tonnes of fruit and vegetable waste per week from Cape Town Market.
• A 'closed loop' system was established where digestate (leftover organic material) from Elgin Fruit Juice's anaerobic digester is transported back to Cape Town Market using empty trucks. Ywaste then mixes this digestate with fruit and vegetable waste to create compost for farmers.
• The initiative has created two permanent jobs as part of its social benefits.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Case Study 005 Apples to Apples. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20160704_WISP_Case-Studies_-Apples-to-Apples-_FA2-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Case Study 005 Apples to Apples. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20160704_WISP_Case-Studies_-Apples-to-Apples-_FA2-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Case Study 005 Apples to Apples |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20160704_WISP_Case-Studies_-Apples-to-Apples-_FA2-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendcase, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Case Study 005 Apples to Apples}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20160704_WISP_Case-Studies_-Apples-to-Apples-_FA2-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }