Western Cape programme proclaimed runner-up for an esteemed circular economy award

by Mike Mulcahy, mike@green-cape.co.za

GreenCape, a not-for-profit company that partners with the Western Cape Department of Agriculture to manage the Agri-desk and the GreenAgri portal, has been selected as runner-up for an international award.

GGreenCape’s Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), a free facilitation service to companies, was selected as runner-up for the “Circular Economy: Public Sector” award at The Circulars 2018 awards ceremony, which took place at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on 22 January 2018.

This prestigious event, an initiative by the World Economic Forum (WEF), recognised notable contributions to the circular economy – where resources are kept and reused in the economy for as long as possible.

WISP was the first industrial symbiosis programme (ISP) established in Africa and was initially funded by the Western Cape Government. It is now supported by the City of Cape Town. WISP makes its contribution by connecting companies so that under-utilised or discarded resources of one company can be used by another.

Over the past four years, WISP has diverted more than 36 600 tonnes of waste from landfill, generated R67,9 million in economic benefits for its members, and created 140 jobs in the local economy. The programme has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 147 700 tonnes CO2e or the electricity use of 39 800 South African households.

WISP was nominated as one of only two African finalists for the Circulars 2018. Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, was a finalist in the Leadership category for his efforts to support government institutions and private sector alignment for the circular economy in Rwanda.

“The benefits for the province and countries with such programmes can be significant. WISP fills a niche in the City of Cape Town’s waste strategy, which creates notable social, economic and environmental benefits,” says Mike Mulcahy, CEO of GreenCape. “The team unlocks cost savings and creates new business opportunities for the manufacturing members who participate, creating a truly circular economy programme.”

WISP’s success lies in its extensive network of manufacturing companies and its expert facilitators who can rapidly identify mutually beneficial exchanges. WISP provides what its members lack – capacity and technical expertise – to implement solutions that will make them more sustainable, and the ability to collectively address major environmental issues affecting the manufacturing sector.

“When we saw the success of similar programmes in the UK and elsewhere, we knew that a local programme had the potential to transform our economy. For that reason, we supported WISP in its early years”, says former Minister of Economic Opportunities (now Minister of Community Safety and Premier Elect), Alan Winde of the Western Cape Government.

“The City of Cape Town is a proud WISP supporter and funder. The programme is an amazing celebration of innovation, resilience and creativity by local firms in Cape Town. The City embraces the challenge to think creatively about waste streams and WISP encourages us to see opportunity in resources that would otherwise be sent to landfill”, said former Executive Mayor Patricia De Lille of the City of Cape Town.

AP

See GreenCape’s website (www.greencape.co.za) for more information on WISP.