The Waste Economy

The 2015 GreenCape Market Intelligence Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the waste economy in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It examines the market for dry recyclables, organic waste, construction and demolition waste, and waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies, while detailing the regulatory barriers and investment opportunities within the sector.

• The South African waste sector is valued at approximately R15 billion, contributing about 0.51% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) and employing roughly 29,000 people.
• Landfilling remains the dominant waste management method in South Africa, with an estimated 90.1% of all general and hazardous waste being landfilled. Recycling rates in the Western Cape are higher than the national average, at approximately 14% compared to 9.8%.
• The informal sector is the primary collector of glass and plastic waste in South Africa, specifically recovering 90% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 68% of other plastics.
• Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) accounts for up to 22% by mass and 10% by volume in Western Cape landfills, though these figures are likely underestimates due to illegal dumping. South Africa's average C&DW recycling rate of 16% is significantly lower than in Germany (86%) or the Netherlands (90%).
• Waste-to-energy (WtE) opportunities in the Western Cape are significant, with an estimated potential of up to 500 MWe from available organic wastes. Short-term opportunities are particularly strong in small-to-medium scale biogas plants at animal husbandry facilities like abattoirs to reduce high disposal costs.
• Private sector WtE projects face several barriers, including the difficulty of securing long-term contracts with municipalities beyond three years, securing electricity off-take agreements, and the high cost of electricity generated from waste, which is 15-20c/kwh higher than Eskom's bulk price.
• The National Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014, introduces the establishment of a National Waste Management Bureau (WMB) and a National Pricing Strategy for waste management to fund the recycling economy.
• The City of Cape Town generates approximately 70% of the waste in the Western Cape, with 60% of that waste handled by the private sector and 40% by the municipality.
• E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally, but South Africa's recycling rate for it was only 11% in 2011. SMEs in this sector are burdened by the requirement for full environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for any waste containing hazardous substances.
• The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), operating since 2013, has facilitated resource trading between companies, resulting in R3.4 million in additional revenue and R3.21 million in cost savings between August 2013 and February 2015.

APA

GreenCape (2015). The Waste Economy. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape-Market-Intelligence-Report-2015-Waste-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. The Waste Economy. 2015. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape-Market-Intelligence-Report-2015-Waste-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=The Waste Economy |date=2015 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape-Market-Intelligence-Report-2015-Waste-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2015waste, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{The Waste Economy}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2015}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GreenCape-Market-Intelligence-Report-2015-Waste-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }