Methods to recycle soil from road sweeping waste will be explored as part of a new partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University and North West road sweeper hire company, UBU Environmental Limited.
The collaboration aims to see if it is possible to open up a market for recycled road sweepings and divert waste from landfill by using recycled soils in environments such as urban tree planting, landscaping and green spaces.
If successful, the partnership will become the first of its kind to reclaim soil from road-sweeping waste, Manchester Metropolitan says.
The project will see scientists from Manchester Metropolitan conducting a range of experiments on the recycled road sweeping material which is processed at the UBU plant. The university says they will assess the level of organic pollutants and metals found in the processed material – which is referred to as cake – to better understand any health risks associated with reusing it.
They continue that the scientists will also assess the impacts the cake might have on the growth rate of plants, which will help identify if it is possible to sustainably reuse the material in an environmentally beneficial way.
If successful there are large benefits for UBU and the project could help to establish road sweepings recycling operations all across the UK.
Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Environmental Forensics at Manchester Metropolitan, Dr David Megson, said: “Each year thousands of tonnes of road sweepings are sent to landfill. This is not sustainable or cost-effective, which is why we are keen to establish if this material can be turned from waste into a valuable resource and recycled.
“If successful there are large benefits for UBU and the project could help to establish road sweepings recycling operations all across the UK.”
“We need to develop robust analytical methods to identify a wide range of pollutants that may be present in the cake. To do this we will use state-of-the-art technology at Manchester Met, which will enable us to perform human health risk assessments to see if the material may be safe for reuse.”
UBU Environmental Limited will collaborate with the University through a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) awarded by Innovate UK, lasting 26 months.
The KTP scheme at Manchester Met is a long-standing, government-funded initiative that allows businesses to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance. It sees organisations joining forces with researchers and academics at the University to address specific business challenges.