Closing the loop: Using building rubble in construction

This case study describes the deconstruction and material recovery process at the 15 ha Woolworths Distribution Centre site in Montague Gardens, Cape Town, where 90% of demolition waste was reused to avoid landfill costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

• The deconstruction of buildings at the Woolworths Distribution Centre site avoided the generation of over 16,000 m3 of mixed waste, which would have cost R12.3 million to landfill and over R64,000 in transport costs.
• By reusing 4,500 m3 of old concrete onsite for fences, casting beds, and pipes, the project achieved financial savings of R649,000, consisting of R585,000 in material costs and R64,000 in fuel costs for transport to landfill.
• The project achieved a 90% reuse rate for demolition waste, processing all concrete, mortar, and brick. Other recovered materials included 3,500 m3 of brickwork for a local school, 2,600 m3 of asphalt returned to Much Asphalt, 6,800 m3 of laterite sent to Killarney Race Track, and windows and doors sent to Kuils River Building Supplies. Only roof insulation, sheeting, and PVC piping were landfilled.

APA

Barnes, K. (2018). Closing the loop: Using building rubble in construction. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WOOLWORTHS-CASE-STUDY-6-3.pdf

Chicago

Barnes, Kirsten. Closing the loop: Using building rubble in construction. GreenCape, 2018. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WOOLWORTHS-CASE-STUDY-6-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barnes |first1=Kirsten |title=Closing the loop: Using building rubble in construction |publisher=GreenCape |date=August 2018 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WOOLWORTHS-CASE-STUDY-6-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barnes2018closing, author = {Barnes, Kirsten}, title = {{Closing the loop: Using building rubble in construction}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/WOOLWORTHS-CASE-STUDY-6-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }