No more dumping of waste construction soil?

The University of Plymouth will lead a research project across the UK and France, ReCon, which seeks to reduce, or eliminate, the practise of dumping waste construction soil.  The €2.5m project will run from April of this year to June of 2023.  There are multiple benefits: 1) €3.5bn per annum is spent on dumping construction waste in France and the UK; 2) Contribution to food security and agricultural sustainability; 3) Reduction carbon emissions. 

Currently 690 million people in the world are undernourished or hungry.  At the same time, the worlds population is expected to increase from 7.7 billion today to 9.7 billion in 2050.  The world’s soils have been eroding and degrading, mainly due to human activities, and is finding it difficult to produce enough food for current population levels.

Soil is also one of the world’s best and biggest carbon storage methods.  The better the quality and the higher the quantity, the more carbon it can store…

The objective of the project is to convert construction waste, dredged sediments and agricultural by-products into at least three new soil recipes.  Policy barriers and regulatory impediments will also be addressed.

This article was first seen on:

https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/sustainable-soil-construction-waste/91336/