The Western Cape is preparing its fourth-generation Integrated Waste Management Plan (WC IWMP) for 2027–2032 as businesses approach a significant deadline for organic waste. With the province pursuing 100% diversion of organic waste from landfill by 2027, businesses need to establish where their organic material will go and how it will be processed. The new provincial plan will guide waste management over the next five years, while implementation depends on arrangements made at municipal and business level.
Understanding the diversion figures
Reported provincial figures show that 1,110,586 tonnes of waste were diverted from landfill in 2024, including 860,006 tonnes through recycling initiatives. This is a total waste diversion figure, encompassing more than organic material. For businesses preparing for 2027, the task is to establish a dependable route for food scraps and other suitable organic waste that currently enters their general waste bins.
How the requirements apply to businesses
The requirements commonly described as the Western Cape’s organic waste landfill ban operate through several regulatory mechanisms. Provincial policy is implemented through landfill licence conditions, alongside municipal requirements and waste diversion planning. The City of Cape Town confirms that specific requirements have been included in municipal landfill licences to support the provincial diversion objectives. Businesses therefore need to understand the conditions applicable to their municipality and waste arrangements.
In Cape Town, this already has direct implications for organic waste generators. Restaurants, hotels and food processing companies must submit integrated waste management plans explaining how they intend to reduce organic waste sent to landfill by 50% immediately and 100% by 2027. These plans require information about waste quantities and types, together with the services and measures needed to manage them.
Planning around your waste profile
For a commercial kitchen, preparation begins with understanding its waste profile. Vegetable offcuts from food preparation require different handling from packaged stock that has passed its sell-by date. A business needs to know how much suitable organic material it generates, how that volume changes during busy periods and where contamination enters the collection process. This information informs equipment selection and collection arrangements, while helping staff understand what belongs in each bin.
Processing capacity also needs to be considered before a business commits to a diversion arrangement. A collection agreement should establish which facility will receive the material and whether it can accommodate the expected volumes. On-site treatment can contribute additional capacity within a business’s own operations, although the full process must include arrangements for any further composting and maturation required.
Where BiobiN® fits into the process
BiobiN® provides an enclosed, on-site system that contains organic waste and initiates aerobic composting through its patented aeration technology. Suitable organic material is combined with a carbon material, such as wood chippings, while airflow supports decomposition. Depending on the service arrangement, the partially composted material can then be collected for further processing at a composting facility.
This approach gives businesses a defined process for managing suitable organics before collection. Once composting and maturation are complete, the resulting compost can return organic matter to soils through appropriate landscaping or agricultural applications.
As the Western Cape prepares for its next planning period, businesses can begin by measuring their organic waste and confirming municipal requirements, then assessing treatment options suited to their premises. BiobiN® offers site and requirements assessments to help businesses determine how on-site organic waste processing could form part of their diversion plans.
Image: Magda Ehlers