Author name: Nicole Felix

Food Waste Management in South Africa: Why Containment Is a Conservation Practice

For businesses operating alongside wildlife, food waste management in South Africa is about more than hygiene, compliance and efficient disposal. The way food waste is stored can influence animal behaviour, human-wildlife conflict and the health of surrounding ecosystems. Open food waste provides an easy, reliable food source for baboons, jackals, birds and rodents. Once animals

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Building soil for a dry summer: composting ahead of El Niño

South Africa is heading towards the 2026/27 summer under El Niño conditions. The South African Weather Service’s Seasonal Climate Watch, issued on 31 August, indicates that El Niño is occurring and is expected to continue through summer, with below-normal rainfall forecast for many areas. The Department of Agriculture has also warned that lower rainfall, combined

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Addressing two major agricultural risks: Soil quality and water scarcity

South African agriculture is facing two interconnected pressures: declining soil quality and increasing water scarcity. With average annual rainfall at 464 mm compared with a global average of roughly 860 mm, every drop counts. Yet degraded and compacted soils can limit infiltration and water storage, while nutrient-poor soils make crops less resilient to drought and

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Creating climate resilient soils when we need it the most

El Niño places greater emphasis on water management South Africa is preparing for the possibility of a hotter, drier 2026/27 summer as climate forecasts indicate that a strengthening El Niño is likely to bring above-normal temperatures across much of the country, together with an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall across the summer rainfall regions from

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Five steps for businesses to start their zero-waste journey

For businesses under constant operational pressure, “zero waste” can feel like an ambitious goal rather than something that fits into the working day. But the journey does not have to start with a complete overhaul. Businesses can start making measurable progress by simply breaking this journey into five practical steps and one of the most

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Why on-site composting is no longer optional for Green Building Standards

Green building certification is no longer judged on solar panels and energy efficiency alone. For property developments chasing top-tier ratings, organic waste diversion carries real weight as one of the expected standards used to assess sustainability performance. For developers targeting Green Star SA, LEED, or EDGE ratings, on-site organic waste processing has shifted from a

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What’s on the horizon? How businesses can get ready for the next chapter of the National Waste Strategy

The Draft National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) 2026, gazetted in December 2025 and now past its public comment phase, marks a turning point. For the first time in South Africa’s regulatory history, organic waste has been formally designated a priority waste stream. For businesses generating food and organic waste, this signals the end of “business

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What universities can learn from composting on campus

Universities are meant to model the solutions they research. Organic waste is one of the few areas that test this promise more visibly. Across campuses, dining halls, residences and cafés generate a steady stream of food waste, often representing between 17% and 60% of total solid waste. Globally, food waste is estimated to contribute roughly

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