SUSTAINABILITY
TO RESOURCE
FROM LOOMING LANDFILL BANS TO CUTTING-EDGE COMPOSTING, SOUTH AFRICA’ S HOSPITALITY SECTOR IS REDEFINING WASTE AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE.
By Brian Kusel, Director of Biobin South Africa
The South African hospitality and food and beverage( F & B) industry is currently at a critical turning point, driven by impending legislation and a massive shift in economic perspective around waste. The long-held view of‘ waste’ as an end-use problem is rapidly giving way to its recognition as a‘ secondary resource’, creating a multi-billionrand opportunity for the country. This transition is being powered by exciting new recycling and upcycling techniques across the dominant waste streams.
The urgency of the landfill crisis
The most significant driver behind the industry’ s embrace of these changes is the current landfill crisis. Most of
South Africa’ s landfill sites are rapidly reaching capacity, with many having an estimated five years or less remaining. This scarcity, coupled with the immense difficulty and cost associated with licensing new landfill sites, is leading to rapidly increasing disposal fees. The financial imperative is being reinforced by regulatory pressure, most notably the Western Cape’ s planned organic-
106 TRADE & TASTE / 2026