The clock is ticking for businesses in the Western Cape. By 2027, a complete ban on organic waste to landfill will be in full effect. This is a profound shift within the waste sector that demands proactive measures from every business generating organic waste. As businesses re-evaluate their organic waste management to comply with the ban, we should be looking at the Western Cape as a case study to inform a compelling blueprint for other provinces and even a national organic waste ban. But, before we explore this idea – let’s look at the different waste management options that businesses can use to divert their organic waste stream from landfill.
The Scale of the Challenge: Understanding Food Waste in the Supply Chain
To understand the challenge, we must first grasp its magnitude. In South Africa, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) estimates that approximately 10 million tonnes of food go to waste annually. South Africa generates approximately 10.2 million tonnes of food waste annually throughout its supply chain. Of this, an estimated 5.1 million tonnes are from primary production and post-harvest handling and storage, 2.6 million tonnes from processing and packaging, 2.0 million tonnes from distribution, and 0.5 million tonnes at the consumption stage. This significant amount of waste comes with severe implications for food security, the economy, and the environment.
The good news is that viable solutions exist to help businesses navigate this transition and even turn their organic waste stream into a business opportunity.
On-Site In-Vessel Composting
For businesses generating significant volumes of organic waste, on-site in-vessel composting stands out as a highly effective and efficient solution. Systems like the BiobiN offer a contained, accelerated composting process, converting food waste, garden refuse, and other organic materials into nutrient-rich compost directly at the source. This not only eliminates transport costs and landfill fees but also provides a valuable end-product. The controlled environment of in-vessel systems mitigates issues like odour and pests often associated with traditional composting, making it ideal for urban environments and businesses with limited space.
National waste regulations for composting are also lenient. Businesses can process up to 10 tonnes of compostable material per day without requiring a waste management license.
Off-Site Composting Facilities
For businesses that may not have the space or capacity for on-site solutions, partnering with off-site or shared commercial composting facilities is an excellent alternative. These facilities accept large volumes of organic waste and process it into compost on a larger scale. This option is particularly beneficial for businesses with diverse waste streams or those looking for a comprehensive off-site solution. Such a set up generally works in business parks or industrial areas with centralised waste management facilities.
“Over year and a half, leading up to 2027, we will be seeing more businesses composting organic waste streams, which will also support the development of the composting market,” says Brian Küsel, director of BiobiN South Africa.
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion is another powerful technology, particularly suited for high-moisture organic waste. This process breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas (a renewable energy source) and a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as a fertilizer. While often requiring a larger initial investment, anaerobic digestion offers the dual benefit of waste diversion and renewable energy generation.
Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Treatment
Beyond traditional composting, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) treatment offers an innovative and highly efficient method for organic waste diversion. BSF larvae are voracious consumers of a wide array of organic materials, including food scraps, agricultural by-products, and even manure. This process can reduce the volume of organic waste up to 80% on a wet weight basis. The primary outputs are nutrient-dense larvae, which are an excellent sustainable protein source for animal feed (e.g., poultry and aquaculture), and a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer known as frass.
Donation and Food Recovery Programmes
Before any waste management solution, businesses should prioritize preventing food waste and diverting edible surplus food to community feeding programmes. Collaborating with food banks and non-profit organizations for food recovery programmes not only reduces waste but also addresses food insecurity – a massive social issue grappling many parts of the country.
The Market for Compost and Pre-Composted Material
The market for compost and pre-composted material is robust and growing. According to waste market research in 2022, if the Western Cape were to adopt composting as the approach to beneficiate the food and organic waste stream, the market value potential could reach up to R914 million in soil amendment products. Out of all the alternative waste treatment (AWT) technologies and processes, composting presents a very economically attractive model for diverting organic waste from landfill. Biogas treatment offers a potential market value range of R16.7 million to a highly optimistic R253.3 million in electricity or heat. Black soldier fly treatment also offers a highly lucrative potential market value range of R622.2 million to R3.1 billion in protein, oils and soil enhancing related products.
The 2027 landfill ban presents a significant challenge, but more importantly, a substantial opportunity. “To fully capture this economic opportunity businesses should start looking at their waste infrastructure to streamline the cost of transport, processing and generating the secondary product,” says Küsel. “Designing and implementing an on-site waste processing system, that may include technology like a materials recovery facility (MRF) and on-site composting units, can reduce off-site processing costs and transport costs. It can also get your secondary resource quicker to market,” adds Küsel.