Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC) announced its plastic-to-concrete invention at the recent Sustainable Brands Oceans congress in Porto.  The news was delivered by Donald Thomson, founder and CEO of CRDC, Paul Clements-Hunt of The Blended Capital Group in London and Kevin James, CEO of GCX Africa. 
​They explained how the planet could be rid from unmanaged and unrecycled plastic waste (‘tragic’ plastic) through this technology, which can turn any plastic – dirty or clean and in any form – into the very building blocks of sustainable development. The CRDC process involves efficient upcycling of massive industrial quantities of plastic waste and enriching it into a synthetic construction aggregate that is lighter in weight and more durable than conventional concrete.

This is a practical solution that, using unmanaged (‘tragic’) plastic waste, can be used in a variety of concrete products to build quality housing and civil infrastructure that can prosper over the long term.  It is tried, tested, in operation, and primed for immediate global expansion.

CRDC is working with three of the founding members of The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, (the petroleum’s industry’s organization that has established a US$1.5-billion fund to help resolve the tragic plastic problem);  CRDC is also working with one of the world’s largest brokers of recycled materials; with a significant player in the food and beverage industry; with Habitat for Humanity; with the Ocean Recovery Alliance;  with leading construction and concrete companies in various markets around the world (for example PEDREGAL in Costa Rica and Latin America); and with municipalities and governments in order to form an effective international alliance to ensure the scalable roll-out of the technology as a global solution to the plastic waste problem the planet faces.

The CRDC product is a Pre-Conditioned Resin Aggregate (PRA) that incorporates regenerated waste plastic particles combined with a standard sand-cement mixture to produce a highly resistant, durable cement or cement block.
Just one CRDC facility and plant would eliminate 11 760 tons of plastic per annum; produce 13 400 tons of PRA (pre-conditioned resin aggregate) per annum; and produce 268 800 tons of concrete containing 5% PRA per annum. 
This new aggregate (PRA) can be used in ­any building application (from quality affordable houses to infrastructure) and will turn ‘tragic’ plastic into a valuable commodity for industrial and commercial use.
The technology and the concrete aggregate products have been tested rigorously, are backed by two years of extensive case studies, and meet all stringent building application standards in the US, Africa and Latin America.
This has far-reaching benefits for the environment.  It is a circular economic solution with impeccable ESG (environment, social and governance) credentials.
CRDC’s CEO, Donald Thomson says: “At a time when the world is in outcry about ‘tragic plastic’ in our oceans, we have created not only a fool-proof solution but also a game-changer for using plastic waste in a commercially viable manner. This is a full scalable zero-waste solution for the effective recovery and re-use of plastic.

“The objective is to create a platform whereby single-use plastics may be transitioned into a supply stream for high-quality construction materials while providing a solution to two of the world´s most pressing issues:  the recovery of waste plastics from the environment and the global housing deficit.

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Companies compelled to consider alternative power sources to ensure business continuity.

Green buildings are increasingly in demand in the face of concerns around Eskom’s ability to sustainably supply power.

At the recent African Utility Week conference, energy minister Jeff Radebe told delegates that “Eskom alone cannot meet our power capacity requirements, because we estimate that the capacity extension under the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) will cost in excess of R1 trillion in the period up to 2030, including the new power plants plus the requisite transmission and distribution infrastructure”.

Property company Redefine recently noted that installing renewable energy interventions is an area with scope for growth, notably to alleviate some of the pressure caused by Eskom’s blackouts and tariff increases.

For the six months to February 2019, Redefine saw total solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity increase to 23.5 megawatt-peak (MWp; power output at rated laboratory conditions) across its property portfolios. The property company says green buildings remain a key development priority in line with creating a sustainable business.

Green buildings offers a multitude of benefits

“Our green buildings benefit our business, our tenants and our environment by utilising the latest technology across designs, drawing less power from the grid, reducing our carbon footprint, and optimising operational costs,” says CEO Andrew König.

Pieter Strydom, commercial asset manager at Redefine Properties, says that while Sandton has an oversupply of office space, well located prime grade green buildings remain in demand, keeping vacancy in that market segment low.

“While traffic remains the key detractor in the Sandton node, new builds offer amenities, accessibility to transport and efficient green-building designs,” he notes.

Global move towards renewable solutions

Oil giant Total launched a programme two years ago to equip about 5 000 of its service stations globally with solar power by 2021.

Around 53 Total service stations in South Africa currently run on solar energy.

Pierre-Yves Sachet, chief executive of Total South Africa, says as the global population and its energy requirements continue to grow, the need for responsible energy consumption becomes more dire. The fourth-largest gas and oil company in the world, Total operates three solar farms in the Karoo and has plans to expand its solar production footprint in South Africa.

Microgrid solution

Marco Rahner, Siemens country manager for Kenya and the East Africa hub, says the company launched a microgrid solution last year that won an award for the Digital Solution of the Year. “Distributed energy systems (DES) technologies offer building owners and energy consumers opportunities to reduce cost, improve reliability and secure additional revenue,” he says. “Siemens is able to offer an end-to-end solution looking at making buildings greener, while also assessing the clients’ power requirements and installing a microgrid solution.”

Rahner explains that the Siemens solution includes a microgrid controller that stabilises the grid in the event of an outage and allows for cost-optimised energy consumption.
Siemens recently signed up to develop an expandable microgrid solution for an industrial and business park in Ghana called WestPark. As part of the agreement, Siemens will develop a 250 kilowatt (kW) microgrid that controls the energy generation and throughput for the initial phase of buildings to be constructed at WestPark.

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Some 40km from the capital city Tshwane, next to Rethabiseng Township and Ekandustria Estate near Bronkhorstspruit, the municipality’s first ‘agropolitan city’ has been launched.
Called the Tshwane Food and Energy Centre, this greenfield development is sited on 200 of 2 600 hectares zoned for agriculture.
Beyond the average Black Economic Empowerment concept to aid upliftment, this project aims to provide an integrated solution to food security and production, energy supply, economic stimulation and job creation, says Dorah Nteo, strategic executive director of city sustainability for the City of Tshwane. “It goes strides further by emphasising and embracing sustainable green practices,” she adds, noting the supply of renewable energy.
In positioning the city to be the leading green capital of South Africa, Tshwane mayor Kogsientso Ramakgopa prioritised his vision with the establishment of Nteo’s sustainability unit. The Tshwane Food and Energy Centre satisfies the city’s mandate comprehensively and forms part of the city’s concept of a ‘green-belt’ of industries, agricultural beneficiation and green settlements to the east of the capital.
Twenty-five displaced farming families from the adjacent townships will be provided with a plot on which to live and farm.
The plot comes complete with a family dwelling, including rainwater harvesting tank, solar water heater and bio-septic tank, a greenhouse produce area, chickens and chicken shacks, and electricity generated from a solar PV installation and biogas digester. Nteo believes releasing the residents from the grid is crucial, “so they are freed from the burden of paying for these services”.

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(CNN) -- Cape Town will soon be home to a luxury eco-friendly village with no cars and sustainable technologies.
The project, thought to be the first of its kind on the continent, has been designed by architecture firm Swisatec.
The R14 billion ($900 million) development will rise on the existing Blue Rock Resort in Somerset West, an area already surrounded by popular wine farms.
There are plans for 1,000 apartments, medical centers, spas, boutiques, schools and restaurants.
Cars will be limited to a main road or confined to underground parking lots. Energy efficiency will be a top priority, both through renewable energy sources and established technologies such as LED lights and water management systems.
Combating pollution
South Africa has been listed in the top 12 producers of carbon emissions according to a report by environmental organization Groundwork.
The report predicts that the average temperature in South Africa will rise by anything between 6 and 12°C by the end of this century.
It also explains how water stressed the country is currently and examines the ongoing power crisis.
However Cape Town has set a target to generate 10 -- 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to Business Day, and even wants to see its residents making their own renewable energy.
Construction starts on the 10 year Blue Rock village project in August 2016, and buyers are expected to move in by February 2017.

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On 27 May, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) awarded its one hundredth Green Star SA certification to Growthpoint Properties’ Kirstenhof Office Park in Johannesburg, Gauteng. Aurecon partnered with JSE-listed Growthpoint and acted as the Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) consultant for the 3 837 m² multi-tenanted office park. 

“Aurecon is delighted to be involved in South Africa’s 100th Green Star Rated building and it is a testament to how the industry is changing. The nation’s rapidly expanding stock of sustainable properties shows how multiple stakeholders and industries are working together to transform the performance and quality of South Africa’s built environment,” says Marni Punt, Aurecon’s ESD Consultant for the Kirstenhof Office Park development.

The Kirstenhof Office Park is situated on Witkoppen Road in Johannesburg and it comprises four, two-storey high office blocks that function as a single building by virtue of being connected by a core quad area that covers a single, shared basement. The elegant Cape Dutch designed building is 20 years old and is used for both corporate office space and tertiary education facilities.

As the ESD consultant for the project, Aurecon was tasked with finding ways to improve occupancy comfort levels as well as reduce the energy and water consumption of the building. Some of the green features of the project include energy efficient lighting, flow restrictors on all taps, a storm water management plan to limit the disruption of natural hydrology, as well as a waste management plan that will ensure that more waste is diverted from landfills.

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