Recycling for reinstatement — The Gas experience

Trenching and small hole operations, for the construction and maintenance of the British Gas plc distribution system, require the disposal of large quantities of excavated material and the import of similar amounts of newly crushed rock. The cost of disposal of the excavated material to landfill sites is high, and is set to rise further with the proposed introduction of the Governmentʹs landfill levy. The excavated material, therefore, has a significant potential financial value if it was to be recycled for reuse. In addition, there would be considerable environmental benefits generated by adopting recycling as the method of waste management as opposed to that of landfill disposal. British Gas are therefore currently engaged in research to determine the feasibility and economic benefits of recycling excavated material. This paper presents details of field trials to recycle excavated material using screening and crushing equipment similar to that used in recycling demolition waste. The paper also reports on the steps being taken to investigate the performance of such materials.