Author name: Nicole Felix

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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Food secure communities – how a composting value chain helps

South Africa presents a striking paradox: it is nationally food-secure, yet many households remain food-insecure. Data from Statistics South Africa consistently show that while food is available nationally, access is uneven, with affordability and local availability limiting what ends up on household plates. At the same time, businesses pay to dispose of tonnes of organic

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The climate solution hiding in our organic waste

Every day, tonnes of organic waste leave commercial kitchens, food retailers and hospitality facilities bound for landfill. Out of sight, and largely out of mind. But discarded material does not disappear. It decomposes under anaerobic conditions to produce methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming potential significantly greater than carbon dioxide. This World Environment Day,

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Closing the organic waste loop in ecologically sensitive areas

South Africa’s safari and ecotourism sector contributes billions of rands to the national economy and funds critical conservation initiatives across the country. Yet one of the most overlooked threats to these landscapes does not arrive from outside the reserve fence; it originates in the back-of-house operations of the lodges and resorts that sit within them.

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Biodiversity starts in the soil and our decisions with organic waste

As South Africa prepares to host the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026 Global Flagship Event on Friday, 22 May, the world’s attention turns to a country celebrated for its sweeping landscapes, rich ecosystems, and iconic wildlife. From savannas to fynbos biomes, South Africa is globally recognised as a biodiversity hotspot. But while the focus

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Hantavirus: How in-vessel composting can be a vital control measure

Recent reports of Hantavirus cases have renewed attention on the conditions that allow rodent-borne pathogens to enter workplaces and food-handling environments. Hantavirus is transmitted primarily through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine and nesting material. While the virus itself is not new, the circumstances that allow rodents to thrive and move through built

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The invisible ROI: why on-site composting is an operations win, not just a waste win

When businesses think about the financial benefits of on-site composting, they usually focus on one thing: fewer waste collection trips. While those savings are real, they only tell part of the story. What often gets overlooked is how composting changes the way waste is handled inside the facility and what that means for staff, site

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When fertiliser becomes unaffordable: The case for a local composting value chain

Global fertiliser markets have entered one of their most volatile periods in recent years. Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor through which approximately 30% of global fertiliser trade passes. The consequences for farmers in many regions have been significant, and in South Africa, it

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