‘Building’ a circular economy

This case study by GreenCape examines the role of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) in a circular economy, focusing on the business model of The Real Deal 2 Cheap in South Africa. It highlights the challenges of landfill capacity and the economic potential of reselling salvageable, low-value building materials to create jobs and reduce environmental impact.

• Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is a significant waste stream in South Africa, particularly in urban areas with rapid development and brownfield projects. In 2015, C&DW accounted for 22% (approximately 1.7 million tonnes) of total waste in the Western Cape, with the City of Cape Town contributing over 1 million tonnes. This volume puts pressure on landfill sites; in the Western Cape, 22 out of 25 municipalities have less than five years of airspace remaining.
• While high-value C&DW materials like non-ferrous metals, glass, paper, cardboard, and builder's rubble have established end-markets, lower-value or small-quantity items are frequently discarded. This is partly because many landfills offer reduced or zero tariffs for C&DW disposal since the material is used as cover.
• The Real Deal 2 Cheap serves as a case study for a circular economy model by purchasing and reselling salvageable C&DW items—such as door frames, sinks, bricks, and roof tiles—to the public and other construction businesses. This model creates social and economic value by providing affordable building materials to all income groups and generating employment in sales, administration, and procurement.
• On a global scale, the construction sector is responsible for roughly 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Annual global C&DW is projected to reach 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025 due to increasing demand for residential and industrial properties.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). ‘Building’ a circular economy. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Construction-and-demolition-waste-1.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. ‘Building’ a circular economy. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Construction-and-demolition-waste-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=‘Building’ a circular economy |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Construction-and-demolition-waste-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendbuilding, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{‘Building’ a circular economy}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Construction-and-demolition-waste-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }