Landfills are constantly under pressure because of the growing amounts of waste accumulated and the scarcity of landfill space. In addition, large amounts of waste ending up in the environment leads to high levels of emissions. Organic waste in landfills especially emits a lot of methane, which is why diverting waste from landfills is one of the South African government's environmental priorities.

EnviroServe in Johannesburg is a waste management organisation that works on developing a zero-waste system in the city by offering various waste services. They own and operate eleven waste treatment and disposal facilities, all of which are dedicated to seeking beneficial uses for every waste stream they handle and generating something of value, thus improving the economy by creating employment. Over the past 16 years, the company has worked with SA Breweries and industrial bakeries to transform wet grain and dough that would otherwise be discarded in a landfill into nutritious animal feed. The company then delivers this high-protein grain and yeast mix to various farms, helping them improve their agri-products. They also see innovation as a priority, and to demonstrate their determination, the organization has set aside 30% of their team to work on recycling and alternative waste management initiatives.

The company has been highly successful at scaling up its operations over the years to be South Africa’s largest waste service business. They have also expanded their operations to multiple new locations, such as Mozambique and Uganda.

This case study has been created as part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive open-source database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. We are doing this in collaboration with the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), as part of our programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa.

Image retrieved from https://www.enviroserv.co.za/about