Waste: Market Intelligence Report 2019

The South African waste sector is transitioning toward a resource-efficient economy driven by legislative changes and increasing landfill costs. While disposal remains dominant—with 90% of waste landfilled according to 2011 data—significant opportunities exist in the Western Cape for the beneficiation of organics, e-waste, plastics, and builder's rubble. The report highlights the City of Cape Town as a primary hub for these opportunities due to its high waste generation and the highest landfill gate fees in the country. Key drivers include the implementation of Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMPs) and provincial organic waste diversion targets, while barriers include low household separation rates and the high cost of hazardous waste licensing.

• South Africa's waste landscape is dominated by disposal; 2011 baseline data indicates that approximately 108 million tonnes of waste were generated, with 90% landfilled and only 10% recycled.
• The Western Cape generated approximately 7.7 million tonnes of waste in 2015, consisting of municipal solid waste (31%), agricultural and forestry residues (31%), construction and demolition waste (22%), and commercial and industrial waste (11%).
• The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has the highest landfill gate fees in South Africa, which increases the financial viability of alternative waste treatment solutions for local businesses.
• The Western Cape's organic waste market, including municipal, commercial, and industrial streams, is valued between R83 million and R158 million per year, with the CoCT representing the largest share (R59 to R111 million).
• Low-value e-waste in the Western Cape is estimated to be worth between R54.5 million and R108.4 million annually, though the province lacks formal pre-processing and processing capacity, often exporting materials to Gauteng.
• The value of municipal solid waste (MSW) plastics in the Western Cape is estimated between R462.2 million and R616.2 million per year, with CoCT MSW plastics valued between R321.5 million and R428.7 million in 2018.
• The national market for recovered aggregate from builder's rubble is conservatively estimated at R132 to R309 million, with the Western Cape having 2.6 million tonnes available, though only 30%-40% is currently processed.
• The Western Cape government aims to divert 50% of organic waste from landfills by 2022 and 100% by 2027, which is expected to increase demand for organic waste solutions.
• Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMPs) for paper, packaging, e-waste, and lighting will legally require producers to implement extended producer responsibility, ensuring feedstock access and demand for recovered materials.
• Informal waste collectors are critical to the recycling chain, supplying an estimated 80% to 90% of packaging waste to recyclers in South Africa.

APA

GreenCape (2019). Waste: Market Intelligence Report 2019. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE-MARKET-INTELLIGENCE-REPORT-WEB-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Waste: Market Intelligence Report 2019. 2019. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE-MARKET-INTELLIGENCE-REPORT-WEB-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Waste: Market Intelligence Report 2019 |date=2019 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE-MARKET-INTELLIGENCE-REPORT-WEB-3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2019waste, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Waste: Market Intelligence Report 2019}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2019}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WASTE-MARKET-INTELLIGENCE-REPORT-WEB-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }