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Joburg’s Incinerator Plan: Burning Waste, Powering the City?

Published

4 months ago

June 20, 2025

Chiraag

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A bold new waste solution has arrived – but is it the future we need?

Johannesburg is running out of space – for rubbish, that is. And the solution the city’s exploring might surprise you: burning it.

In June 2025, the City of Joburg announced a controversial new plan to build a waste-to-energy incinerator plant. The facility would burn household waste and generate electricity in the process – all while reducing the city’s growing landfill burden. Officials say the move is essential. Environmentalists say it’s risky. And residents? Well, they’re split.

Let’s break down what’s at stake – and what’s on fire.

From Dumps to Smokestacks

Pikitup’s general manager, Barney Taljaard, confirmed that Johannesburg’s landfill sites are nearly maxed out. The city is literally running out of space to dump its waste – and Gauteng’s environmental department, GDARD, isn’t keen on new landfill sites, citing methane emissions and long-term damage.

That’s where the incinerator comes in. The plan is to construct a facility that burns waste and converts it into usable electricity. Globally, these kinds of “waste-to-energy” plants are used in cities like Copenhagen, Tokyo, and Vienna. But the technology is complex – and expensive – and South Africa has never attempted it at this scale.

Not Just About Flames

Taljaard insists the incinerator isn’t a silver bullet. It’s one piece of a broader push to rethink how Joburg handles rubbish. The metro is also ramping up:

Recycling efforts
Green and dry waste diversion
Bio-waste digesters
And even landfill gas capture for energy

Still, building a massive incinerator means committing to a model that could either transform the city’s waste economy – or tie it to a polluting legacy.

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Image 1: Pexels

What the Public (and Activists) Are Saying

Reactions online have ranged from hopeful to furious.

Some locals welcome the idea: “If it powers my fridge and clears my street, bring it on,” wrote one X user. But environmentalists and waste picker groups are pushing back hard.

Air pollution risks? Real concern.
Displacing informal recyclers? A big fear.
Toxic emissions? If not managed properly, yes.
Global treaties? Environmentalists say the project might clash with SA’s obligations under the Stockholm Convention to phase out harmful pollutants.

And then there’s the ethics: should burning waste be our go-to climate strategy in a time of just energy transition?

Meanwhile, Your Bills Are Still Climbing

The announcement comes as residents face sharply increased utility tariffs:

Electricity: +12.74% (NERSA approval pending)
Water & Sanitation: +13.9%
Prepaid Surcharge: Still R200 for residential users
Property Rates: +4.6%

Officials say the hikes are “moderate” and necessary, but many Joburgers are already tightening their belts. It’s no wonder the thought of building a billion-rand incinerator plant has some residents seeing red.

Fire and Future

The proposed incinerator is still just a plan. No timeline, no final budget, no environmental licence – yet. But it signals a massive shift in how Johannesburg intends to handle waste and energy going forward.

Done right, this could be a smart pivot towards sustainable urban management. Done wrong, and it becomes another high-cost, high-pollution project that fails those it was meant to serve.

Either way, the heat is on.