Proof-of-Concept research and demonstration of Soil Management, Storage and Treatment Facilities.

Published 26 September 2024

Last updated - 

Introduction - 

The lack of local reuse sites or misaligned development timeframes is often the biggest blocker to soil reuse. Providing a repository / space to hold and maintain soil significantly increases the probability of finding a reuse Receiver site and avoids valuable soil resources being disposed of at landfill. 

​Some Soil Treatment Facilities (STFs) currently operate in England & Wales. Few operate using the CL:AIRE Definition of Waste: Code of Practice (DoW CoP) e.g., to release soil back to the market. Typically, such sites provide a feedstock for large recovery or disposal operations (e.g. for use as daily cover at a disposal site). As such they are considered less sustainable. Current customers of existing facilities should be interested in an improved system. Especially where this provides a higher quality product, and a more transparent and efficient system.

​A soil depot system in England & Wales would involve high quality facilities for the testing and management of excess soil and ground forming materials. These would in effect be local Geo-Resource Hubs and would feature

• advanced digital material tracking systems,
• comprehensive testing laboratory, and
• a range of management services for soil. 

​​These 'Earthbanks' would play a key role in promoting the sustainable management and reuse of soil in the construction industry, while also protecting the environment and public health. They would allow for further research and demonstration of the sustainability gains of high-quality soil management and manufacture.

Soil depots, as outlined in the Defra Environment Improvement Plan 2023 and under the expected Defra Sustainable Soils Strategy (previously referred to as SHAPE) and associated guidance, will be sites where valued material is “banked”, stored and protected to enable onward use at third party sites. Such uses could include

• landscaping soils,
• engineering fill,
• clay materials for lining/capping/flood defence works, and
• inputs into manufactured topsoil and subsoil when certainty of use arises.

​​This onward use can be controlled by the CL:AIRE DoW CoP system of quality soil passports (previously Declarations). Such Earthbanks would be most beneficial where they can be located at multimodal hub locations. Some could make use of mineral extraction sites requiring restoration or habitat creation schemes.

Aims & Objectives - 

The goal of the Earthbanks project is to demonstrate how a network of soil depots across the country could be created that can;

• accept soil from construction and development projects,
• offer long-term storage, 
• inspect, process it (if required) and manufacture it to make it reusable, and
• redistribute it to other construction sites in need of soil using the DoW CoP.

​​To move the concept of Earthbanks or geo-resource hubs outlined above toward reality, proof of concept demonstration projects are required. CL:AIRE and partners are pleased to propose a new phase of practical demonstration to develop soil reuse depots in England & Wales. 

​The project will - 

1. Undertake a minimum of x3 demonstration transfers of material(s)

• one transfer of clean, naturally occurring material,
• one transfer of contaminant impact materials,
• one transfer of manufacture soil.  

2. Use and improve currently available methods

• be small scale (<1,000m3 / scenario),
• utilise the DoW CoP, and
• Regulatory Position Statement 215 enabling the material reuse without environmental permits.

3. Provide valuable outputs

• create a detailed set of procedures for operating Earthbanks,
• carry out a life cycle and carbon assessment of this form of soil management vs traditional approaches,
• ​carry out a cost benefit analysis of such facilities / depots.

4. Focus on skills & technology

• assess the necessary skills and training for personnel operating Earthbanks, and
• review and potentially select and adopt digital tracking options to control the material transfers.

From these outputs the project aims to develop a framework and guidelines for the establishment of soil depots or geo-resource hubs (Earthbanks) across England and Wales. These depots would serve as central facilities for the testing, management, and reuse of excess soil from construction and development projects. Learning from this proposed practical research will help codify a more detailed system into the DoW CoP ready for widespread industry use. Coordination of this approach through the DoW CoP, with additional controls, ensures this will become a good-practice, joint industry, government, regulator approach.

​The project seeks to engage with relevant regulatory authorities and policymakers to advocate for the development of policies that incentivise soil reuse and discourage soil disposal. It achieves this by developing clear guidelines and standards regarding soil depot management including testing, quality assessment, and remediation techniques which can be relied on to support such policies. The project ensures that the regulatory framework aligns with the goals of sustainable soil management, making it easier for construction and development projects to adopt soil reuse practices and contributing to a circular economy.

​The end goal is to encourage the creation of a network of Earthbanks across the country to promote the sustainable management and reuse of soil in the construction industry while protecting the environment and public health. The project aims to contribute to a sustainable future by promoting the reuse of soil resources, reducing reliance on landfill sites, and fostering a circular economy model for soil in England and Wales.

The Team 

This project keeps the main UK based partners of the ReCon Soil project together. In addition, it seeks to include organisations able to play a practical role in the work e.g., facility operators, consultants, contractors, and site owners / developers.

The project benefits from extensive experience in environmental and sustainable development projects, and has the highest levels of expertise, skills, and resources to successfully deliver this work. The team is wants to working closely with your organisation and government bodies to ensure the success of this project and to make a meaningful and practical contribution to a sustainable future of soil in England, Wales and beyond.

The project is building a network of experienced construction professionals in the areas of facility operations, consultants, contractors, and site owners / developers. These will join the core team of the Earthbanks project.

Prof Paul Bardos	r3 Environmental
Prof Jessica Davies	Lancaster University
Prof Mark Fitzsimons	University of Plymouth
Prof Karen Johnson	Durham University
Dr Angeliki Kourmouli	Lancaster University
Prof John Quinton	Lancaster University
Prof. Brian Reid	University of East Anglia
Dr Kate Schofield	Ricardo
Nicholas Willenbrock	CL:AIRE

Connect with the Project 

The Earthbanks project recognises that progress is achieved by connecting people and initiatives, particularly those with the commitment and influence to drive positive change.

We will build the project network through active stakeholder engagement, facilitated by awareness-raising activities and networking events whenever possible. Our goal is to create a multi-sector network that includes members from construction, agriculture, environmental conservation, the public sector, and more.

Within this network, we will share technical data, guidance, and case studies. Where possible, we will also facilitate training and disseminate research findings.

Join our project community to stay informed and potentially get involved.

Recommended Reading 

1. Soil Health

1.1 Gwandu T, Lukashe NS, Rurinda J, Stone W, Chivasa S, Clarke CE, et al. Coapplication of water treatment residual and compost for increased phosphorus availability in arable sandy soils. J Sustain Agric Environ. 2023; 2: 68–81. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12039

1.2 Schofield H.K., Tappin A.D, Pettitt T., Rollinson G.K. and Fitzsimons M.F. (2019). Biochar incorporation facilitates long-term nitrogen availability to plants within nitrogen-limited soils. Accepted to Science of the Total Environment. 690, 1228-1236.

1.3 Schofield H.K, Tappin A.D, Pettitt T., Rollinson G.K. and Fitzsimons M.F. (2017). Does carbon limitation reduce nitrogen retention in soil? Environmental Chemistry Letters. 16(2), 623-630.

1.4 Powlson David S., (2021). Is ‘soil health’ meaningful as a scientific concept or as terminology? Wiley - British Society of Soil Science Soil Use Manage. 2021;00:1–3

2. Sustainable Soil Management in Development and Construction

2.1 Hale, S.E.; Roque, A.J.; Okkenhaug, G.; Sørmo, E.; Lenoir, T.; Carlsson, C.; Kupryianchyk, D.; Flyhammar, P.; Žlender, B. The Reuse of Excavated Soils from Construction and Demolition Projects: Limitations and Possibilities. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6083. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116083

2.2 Paul Bardos, Lisa Pizzol, Linda Maring, Begoña Arellano Jaimerena Jenny Norrman, Jennifer Hellal, Lorik Haxhiu, Nazaré Couto, Virginie Derycke, Kirsti Loukola-Ruskeeniemi, Timo Tarvainen; Juha Kaija, Joris Crynen, James Baker (2024) Sustainable and risk based land management – a briefing about the current state of practice and suggested future direction of travel ISLANDR Project DL3.1 31 May 2024 Available from - r3environmental.co.uk

3. Soil Restoration

3.1 Schofield H.K., Tappin A.D., Pettitt T., Rollinson G.K. and Fitzsimons M.F. (2024). Inorganic phosphorous availability and mobility in a manufactured soil. Science of the Total Environment, 944, 173979.

3.2 Rhymes J.M., Evans D., Laudone G., Schofield H.K., Fry E., Fitzsimons M.F. (2024). Biochar improves fertility in waste-derived manufactured soils, but not resilience to climate change. Science of the Total Environment, 923, 171387.

3.3 Francisco Ruiz, Maurício Roberto Cherubin, Tiago Osorio Ferreira (2020). Soil quality assessment of constructed Technosols: Towards the validation of a promising strategy for land reclamation, waste management and the recovery of soil functions. Journal of Environmental Management 276 111344

3.4 Frédéric Reesa, Robin Dagois, Delphine Derrien, Jean-Louis Fiorelli, Françoise Watteau, Jean Louis Morel, Christophe Schwartz, Marie-Odile Simonnote, Geoffroy Séré. (2019) Storage of carbon in constructed technosols: in situ monitoring over a decade. Geoderma 337 (2019) 641–64