‘Building’ a circular economy

The document highlights the challenges of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) management in Cape Town, where landfills are nearing capacity. It argues that while high-value materials like metals are already recycled, lower-value salvageable items are often discarded. The case study presents 'The Real Deal 2 Cheap' as a business model that fills this gap by purchasing and reselling used building materials, thereby reducing landfill pressure, creating local jobs, and providing affordable materials to the public. It also notes systemic barriers in South Africa, such as low landfill tariffs for C&DW and a lack of reliable waste data.

• The construction sector is a significant driver of global emissions and waste, with global annual construction and demolition waste (C&DW) projected to reach 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, and the sector accounting for approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• In the Western Cape, C&DW represented 22% of total waste generated in 2015 (approximately 1.7 million tonnes), with the City of Cape Town contributing over 1 million tonnes. Landfill capacity is critical, as 22 of the 25 municipalities in the region have less than five years of airspace remaining.
• A primary barrier to circular economy activities in South Africa's construction sector is that landfills often offer reduced or zero tariffs for C&DW because the waste is used as cover material. Additionally, a lack of reliable data on C&DW volumes and landfill rates hinders investment in reprocessing facilities.
• The business model of The Real Deal 2 Cheap demonstrates that extracting low-value or small-volume C&DW items—such as bricks, roof tiles, sinks, and door frames—can create economic and social value through job creation in sales, administration, and procurement, while providing affordable materials to all income groups.

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} }