The National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) has published its latest industry-benefiting resource, focusing on the construction and demolition waste sector and more specifically, waste emanating from granite tombstone and kitchen counter tops.

The Granite Waste Sector Study forms part of the NCPC-SA’s Industrial Symbiosis Programme (ISP). According to the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) of 2020, industrial symbiosis is “a resource efficiency approach where unused or residual resources (material, energy, water, waste, assets, logistics, expertise, etc.) of one company are used by another, resulting in mutual economic, social and environmental benefits”.

The NWMS lists construction and demolition waste as a problematic waste stream that is either disposed of at landfill or illegally dumped in the environment.

The sector study focuses on the Limpopo province, which, while benefiting from the employment offered by the sector, also faces diminishing landfill airspace. This challenge is shared by many other landfill sites in South Africa and necessitates the adoption of circular economy approaches for landfill-directed waste. Thus, the NCPC-SA ISP earmarked Limpopo as a study area to conduct waste assessments and further develop this sector study.

About the study

Informed by the NCPC-SA’s waste assessments and additional sector site visits, the study serves as an information tool and guide for the granite tombstone and kitchen countertop sector to become more sustainable. The assessments evaluated companies’ waste management practices, observed operational process flows, quantified volumes of waste generated, and provided proposals for resource efficiency interventions.

The resultant study encourages self-regulation in the sector to work towards improvement in the industry, and guides enterprises on how to self-regulate their waste management and environmental impact, advance waste document and data management, and equip companies with tools to implement resource efficiency and cleaner production (RECP) strategies to enhance sustainability.

Providing a comparative overview of the global and South African granite sector, the study highlights South Africa’s significant contribution to the sector and outlines applicable environmental legislation for committed and improved environmental performance and compliance. 

Additional information includes industry waste-to-resource opportunities for sector enterprises of any size; and practical examples that tombstone and kitchen countertop companies can use to reduce the volumes of waste produced, waste disposal at landfills, waste management costs, and, ultimately, greenhouse gas emissions.

Benefit to decision- and policymakers

The Granite Waste Sector Study is valuable as it identifies opportunities for policy development – especially for waste management – and strategic solutions. It recommends, for example, support in the form of incentive programmes, tax rebates or special funding for participating companies that produce new products using construction and demolition waste.

Additional recommendations include developing a construction and demolition waste economy cluster and a regional disposal and recycling facility; amending municipal waste bylaws to incorporate best practice requirements for businesses in this sector and introducing reduction targets for municipalities; and developing norms and standards relevant to the sector.

Similar to other NCPC-SA industry-equipping projects, developing a provincial strategy or guidelines for the sustainable management of waste through value recovery and reuse will necessitate vigorous stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusivity, sustainability, and support.

Eco-briquetting industrial symbiosis success

An existing project in Pinetown successfully implemented construction and demolition waste for use as compressed earth blocks, creating affordable building materials while diverting waste from landfills and generating green jobs. The results indicated that the blocks were approximately 33.3% lower in carbon footprint and lower in cost by approximately 15% to 45%. The earth blocks were sound, water and bulletproof, three to five times stronger in comparison to traditional bricks, and more efficient thermally. Approximately 500kg of carbon is saved per m2 built (DFFE, 2020).

Best practices in the sector

Drawing from its RECP Intervention Framework, the NCPC-SA’s study proposes that best practices in the sector be underpinned by RECP strategies at three levels: reduction at source through product and process modification; internal recycling by using waste materials as resources in other processes in the facility or production process; and external recycling through industrial symbiosis. The latter includes waste exchange opportunities for businesses working with aggregate, sand and natural stone, tiles and ceramics, cement and concrete, stepping stones and paving, building and construction, road materials, and eco-briquetting.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies are also served by incorporating, for example, the procurement of green products. An ESG approach is internationally seen as essential for sustainable growth and ethical business conduct.

The study offers a Good Practice Checklist for companies to use as a simple tool for self-assessment. The checklist summarises positive environmental and waste management practices for implementation, which may encourage a paradigm shift in the sector.

Making it easier

The simplified methodology for companies in the tombstone and kitchen countertop industry to assess their waste was informed by key learnings from the NCPC-SA’s evaluations.

The study elaborates with practical tips and real-world examples on five steps to guide a company in its assessment. Starting with identifying why a waste assessment might be necessary, companies then complete an initial waste questionnaire that focuses on raw material and waste management, and hazardous materials. Photos are supplied of typical waste management activities requiring better waste analysis. In Step 3, companies define the waste assessment scope area, which may be the entire facility or a specific waste-generating process or department. This is followed by a site walkthrough to develop a detailed process flow diagram, an example of which is given. Step 5 comprises quantifying the company’s inputs and outputs and supplying sufficient data over a suggested 12-month period to enable accurate management. In Step 6, when sufficient data are available, companies identify opportunities for internal and external recycling, guided by additional information in the study.

Two worksheets, ‘Input data management’ and ‘Waste data management’, further assist companies with documenting their findings.

The Granite Waste Sector Study is a quick reference tool for use by policy- and decision-makers as well as enterprises of any size in the granite sector. By industry improving self-awareness and self-regulation, and authorities implementing greener waste requirements, both industry and government can actively and positively impact the environment, society, and the economy while driving sustainable economic development.