The Atteridgeville Recycling Park is the first multi-waste stream recycling facility developed via a public-private partnership in South Africa.
The Challenge
More than 10 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions come from Tshwane's current landfilling practices annually. The city is rapidly running out of landfill space, and it does not have the required capital to develop recycling infrastructure. Private sector funding has offered a solution to develop advanced recycling centers.
The Solution
The Atteridgeville Recycling Park (ARP) is being developed on public land in Tshwane with private financing through a novel 'build, operate, and transfer'agreement. The concessionaire, New GX Enviro, will operate the facility for 15 years, before ownership of the waste management facility reverts to the city at no cost. Two phases of the ARP have been completed so far, the material recovery facility, and the garden waste composting facility. These represent $5.2 million of a planned $16.4 million investment. The next phases are a municipal waste screening facility, which will separate organic and inorganic waste, and a construction and demolition waste disposal facility. The facility will serve 300,000 households in the surrounding regions and divert waste from landfill. It is also creating permanent jobs for the people of Atteridgeville, a historically disadvantaged area.
Environmental Benefits – The recycling park will divert a significant portion of garden and recyclable waste in Tshwane from landfills, with consequent savings in greenhouse gas emissions. Since being launched in November 2016, more than 10 tons of garden waste has been composted.
Economic Benefits – For the city, the economic benefit of the public-private financing model is that the waste management facility has been constructed without significant outlay of public funds, whilst the private operator is providing much-needed employment.
About Cities100
Presented by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), Sustainia and Realdania – Cities100 2017 showcases leading solutions to urban climate challenges in five sectors: Energy, Waste, Adaptation, Mitigation and Transportation.
Available online and in print, Cities100 provides stakeholders an accessible format to explore achievable solutions for climate action in cities, and will be a useful tool for relevant groups ranging from impact investors and development organizations, to mayors and city governments. You can access the full Cities100 2017 publication online here.
- Benefits
- Economic
- Environmental
- Key Impact
- 75% of waste in Tshwane will be diverted from landfill once a second recycling park is completed next year