Dig this unique environment project

09/08/2006

Precious raw materials are being saved by using a unique process to recycle excavated material.

Waste recycling and trips to landfill sites have been reduced in a scheme by Essex & Suffolk Water.

In a year the process has helped to make a saving of £24,000 for the company.

The Trenchmod product transforms material dug out from repair and maintenance jobs to fill holes.

The process has proved to be both beneficial to the environment and cost-effective for the company.

Essex & Suffolk Water now recylces 30% of all excavated material - during the last 10 months 3,600 tonnes of excavated material has been recycled which equates to 200 x 18 tonne lorry loads.

During the process soils dug up are fed into a computer-controlled mixing plant known as the Keanemixer, where specially formulated high performance additives are then introduced.

The end product is then crushed and reused to refill trenches for repair and maintenance schemes throughout the Essex & Suffolk Water supply area.

Before the company adopted the Trenchmod process, a quarried stone was used as backfill material which is not a renewable source.

So far 4,500 tonnes have been recylced, which has saved 250 muck lorry trips to the landfill site.

Rowan Harvey, distribution maintenance manager at Essex & Suffolk Water said: “This initiative is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

“By using this system we are reducing the need to use precious raw materials and reducing the pressure on waste landfill sites. We hope to increase the amount we recyle in the coming year.”

For further information please contact Claire Bishop on 01245 212 010.