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.
| Earthbanks Soil Depot - Key Features | |
| 1. Tracking |
Digital tracking systems will be a critical part of this process to ensure the accurate management and tracking of soil materials.
Tracking systems must also link to eventual long-term monitoring of soil which have been reused. This research will review the current soil / waste management industry and identify challenges and opportunities. There are several suitable tracking systems already on the market for these activities, both for transfers and on on-site materials tracking between stockpile and treatment activity. These tracking systems can be developed further specifically for application on materials passing through a facility / depot. |
| 2. Soil declaration passports |
This project will develop the current DoW CoP Declaration system to ensure it performs the required dual purpose of creating an audit trail of projects using the scheme, and acting as an initial point of detail for the material, confirming key information such as its site of derivation. The project will assess they best way of assigning such a documents to soil batches being transferred. |
| 3. Skills and Education |
The Earthbanks project will;
This will promote sustainable development in the construction industry and will create new employment opportunities and promote skills development in this field.
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| 4. Quality Assurance & Testing |
At a soil reuse depot, several onsite soil testing methods would be employed to assess soil health, quality and to identify any emerging contaminants alongside those which are commonly found (in addition to use of MCERT accredited labs for common testing suites). The most useful onsite soil testing methods will depend on the specific types of soil being received at the depot and the potential contamination related to the donor site previous uses. Alongside the common analysis already used in industry, this research project will build on the outputs of the ReCon Soil Work Package 4 which focused on soil testing technologies. Soil reuse depots / facilities will be useful locations for the assessment and remediation of emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS. They will provide a location where soil can be brought for testing and management, using specialised techniques. This might include screening tests for the presence of microplastics and PFAS, for example. Soil testing will especially extend to Receiver sites, at which soils will be reused. The long-term performance of these materials must be monitored and understood. This data can then be fed back to the facility for further improvements to the processes. |
| 5. Long Term Storage |
The goal of any storage deport should be to minimise the time in which soil is held. However, when it take longer to find a reuse for material it is important to understand the impacts of this on the material and the depot site. As such this project will also assess
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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 | Lancaseter University | |
| Prof Mark Fitsimmons | 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.