A team of sustainability experts at the CSIR is testing a suite of industrial ecology tools that allow them to zero in on interconnected environmental and socioeconomic aspects within the South African plastics, green hydrogen, textiles, human settlement and mobility sectors in cities. Evaluating these factors can serve as a testing mechanism for circular economy interventions in cities experiencing rapid population growth.
The industrial ecology tools are deployed to support a sustainable transition in urban networks experiencing rapid population growth and to make them less wasteful and more resourceful cities. “In the coming years, urban population growth is set to increase, with almost half of the world’s population is expected to be living in cities, placing pressure on housing and creating environmental strain in cities,” says CSIR researcher Dr Taahira Goga.
In determining national circularity opportunities, the researchers piloted circular economy case studies that identify ways to convert waste into resources to manage and optimise the flow of energy and materials. The intervention can assist some of South Africa's largest cities, which continue to undergo rapid urbanisation and are under pressure to deliver core governance and service delivery.
“We have tested circular economy interventions using a variety of industrial ecology tools and frameworks that can be applied across different cities, sectors and country scales.” This was done not only to determine a baseline of sustainable urbanisation drivers and barriers, but also to forecast future scenarios. The results can be used to inform urban policy design and legislation.
In evaluating the social and socioeconomic impacts of green hydrogen production in South Africa, a social life cycle assessment was conducted at Saldanha Bay’s special economic zone to unpack, amongst other socio-economic indicators, potential green hydrogen employment opportunities in the area. “Although many initiatives do exist in the hub, employment opportunities are available in the construction sector, while higher skills and qualifications are needed for maintenance- and operation-related jobs to unlock green hydrogen opportunities in Saldanha Bay,” Goga says.
For assessing circularity in the textiles industry, specifically in the cotton clothing industry, “planned interventions to extend garment durability, introduce store buy-back initiatives and localise and replace alternative textile materials are under review,” she says. This will generate a transition from the "take-make-waste" model to a closed-loop system in which materials and clothing items are reused, repaired and recycled, ensuring that cotton fibre retains its value for as long as possible.
“In analysing the plastic sector’s material flows, we want to highlight the areas of concern by looking at what happens at the end-of-life stage, where the onus is on the producer to responsibly manage the end-of-life of its products, in other words, the consumption or disposal of a plastic product, while also considering informal recycling, disposal and sorting methods,” Goga says.
Climate change and jobs are important indicators in an urban development context. As related concepts to the principle of industrial ecology, eco-efficiency and eco-design can assist in decreasing carbon footprints in cities and serve as key components in building a strong business case from sectoral to national circularity opportunities.
“By incorporating circularity into the nationally determined contributions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, one can model and predict individual scenarios and strategies, whether they are for the circular economy or decarbonisation. You can also show what the combination is capable of,” says Goga. The team’s testing of the industrial ecology tools is demonstrating that they can assist with forecasting, guide policy interventions and enable a shift from business-as-usual to a more sustainable future.
The CSIR’s ongoing study of material and energy flows through industrial systems is proving beneficial in analysing the relationship between industrial processes and urban systems while remaining cognisant of unique socioeconomic aspects. This can help city planners, industries and policymakers optimise resource efficiency, create eco-industrial sites and manage urban infrastructure to reduce environmental impacts.
“In this way, the tools promote sustainability by helping to reduce environmental pressure, cut greenhouse gas emissions, manage infrastructure and boost economic growth to better understand the emergent behaviour of complex integrated human and natural systems,” Goga says.
Published 8 June 2026