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Brick recovery resilience case study

2 April 2020

Brick recovery resilience case study

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GreenCape, in conjunction with the City of Cape Town, has published a series of case studies showcasing practical examples of resilience in action in Cape Town.

Resilience is the “capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow no matter what kind of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience” (100 Resilient Cities, 2019)

GreenCape has published a resilience case study, titled “Brick recovery: Building economic resilience through understanding waste streams in Cape Town, South Africa.” The case study explores how research conducted by the City of Cape Town’s Solid Waste Management Department contributes to increased knowledge of the city’s waste streams, thereby building economic resilience in the city. Brick recovery has the potential to build economic resilience in the CCT at the small and micro enterprise level enabled by city drop-off sites, where material is delivered by residents and small businesses at no charge. The economic value of the material derived from brick recovery also saves costs further down the value chain. There is potential for low-skilled formal and informal job creation in the process, which in turn then supports low income housing construction and refurbishment.

The case study discusses:

  • Emerging economic opportunities in the brick recovery processes;
  • Challenges to the business case for brick recovery;
  • Steps towards embedding circular economy principles into municipal waste management planning;
  • How a system stress can be turned into an opportunity for enterprise development;

To access the case study, click here.