2. Ramboll
What is the problem?
2
UK Recycling
and other
recovery
Backfilling Landfill
All waste -
2016 103.9 16.8 52.3
2018 108.4 14.2 50.8
Change 4.3% -15.8% -2.8%
million tonnes and % change
Waste material
Mineral
wastes
55% 6% 6%
Soils 12% = 13m
t
90% = 12.8
m t
58% =
29.5m t
Dredging
spoils
0% 1% 0%
3. Ramboll 3
Soil Organic Carbon pool stores est. 1,500,000 megatons C in the first meter of soil > carbon contained
in the atmosphere (~ 800,000 megatons) & terrestrial vegetation (500,000 megatons) combined (FAO
and ITPS, 2015)
In the first three meters of the soils an even larger carbon mass of up to 2,344,000 megatons C are estimated.
Emissions from the aviation
sector, soil carbon stocks
and the potential of soil
carbon sequestration to
offset carbon.
(UN FAO - Soils Potential to
Contribute to Offset Int’l
Aviation Emissions 2017)
5. Ramboll
“The time needed to form a soil depends on the
latitude:
• in environments characterized by a mild climate, it
takes 200-400 years to form 1 cm of soil
• in wet tropical areas soil formation is faster, as it
takes 200 years
• in order to accumulate enough substances to make
a soil fertile it takes 3000 years.”
http://www.eniscuola.net/en/argomento/soil/soil-
formation/how-long-does-it-take-to-form/
“Essentially, soil can be considered as a non-
renewable resource, as the formation of topsoil
and the recovery of soil (and groundwater) quality
are extremely slow processes. ...It should be
acknowledged here that soil is a scarce natural
resources and an inseparable part of the soil-water-
sediment-system.”
A.M. Breure et al. Science of the Total Environment
624 (2018) 1125-1130
5
Soil is a finite resource
6. Ramboll 6
Industry challenges
• Circular Economy
• Move from problem to resource
• Keeping soils in the chain of utility
• Pushing soils up the waste hierarchy
• Maintaining the intrinsic value of soils
• Topsoil
• Supply issues (geographically and temporally)
• Quality
• Long term storage often required – restoration of agricultural land
Fig 1. Established reconstructed soil at the Eden Project, Cornwall,UK.
7. Ramboll 7
Industry challenges
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
• Environment Act 2021 – 10% BNG on development sites
• Good biodiversity on brownfield sites with unique habitats – range of
soil quality required
• Net Zero Carbon by 2050
• Build back greener
• Key focus on new Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
• Organisations are looking to use ‘spare’ land (e.g. road verges) to off
set carbon through activities such as tree planting.
Fig 1. Established reconstructed soil at the Eden Project, Cornwall,UK.
8. Ramboll 8
Barriers and challenges
Fig 2. Example soil constituents.
• Regulatory – complex and default to worst-case: waste
• Organisational practices – project planning, finance models
• Materials quality
• Public perception – safety, environmental risk, land value
9. Ramboll 9
What is ReCon Soil?
•Reconstructed soils from waste
• Soils constructed from waste materials have already
been demonstrated to be capable of supporting plant
growth and nutrient cycling.
• €2.5m Interreg (Channel Manche) Project.
• Started January 2021, ends June 2023.
10. Ramboll 10
Aims of ReCon Soil
1)Reduce the quantity of soils sent to landfill by the construction
sector using a circular economy approach.
2)Reduce pressure on natural soils and their associated carbon stocks
through the development application-specific soil ‘recipes’ to
reduce the need for translocation of natural soils.
3)Contribute to increased soil carbon capture through the
incorporation of components capable of long-term carbon storage.
12. Ramboll
• Key example reconstructed soil components
12
What’s in a soil recipe?
Inorganic components Organic components Mixed components
• Aggregate (e.g. gravel, sand,
clay)
• Fly ash
• Volcanic rock (e.g. basalt,
perlite, tuff)
• Composted green waste
• Wood substrate
• Composted bark
• Manure
• Natural soils
• Biosolids
• Dredged sediments
• Biochar
Fig 2. Example soil constituents.
To ensure the long-term sustainability of reconstructed
soils recipes will be needed that account for
• The required soil properties for the intended application
• Local material availability.
13. Ramboll 13
Applications for reconstructed soils
• Landscaping soils
• Structural/engineering soils
• Recreational facilities
• Land restoration and rehabilitation
• Controlled growing facilities – vegetable growth
• Remediation
14. Ramboll 14
How can ReCon Soil help industry?
• Make it easier for industry to do a good job in relation to soils
restoration.
• Expand meeting BNG obligations beyond nominal planting.
• Increase opportunity for projects to achieve better carbon
management on site.
• Address issues of agricultural land restoration.
• Increased awareness – Low Carbon Networks
15. Ramboll
• Networking evening in Exeter City Centre to celebrate the work
of ReCon Soil, hosted by CL:AIRE.
• Hear early developments from industry-leading research
• Celebrate a shared interest in sustainable soil remediation
• ReCon Soil (claire.co.uk)in/e5CXkHV4
15
World Soil Day – 5th December