Feature
Issue No. 47 - June/ july
The dirt on soil recycling
Most of us are familiar with the concept and benefits of recycling paper, plastic, glass and metal but fewer would know about recycling and re-using soil. Waste soil from excavation at one site can provide a valuable resource for fill material at another site. This has driven a substantial amount of soil recycling activity in SA in recent years. If a soil recycling arrangement can be negotiated there are usually benefits to both the soil producer and receiver, including:
• Avoiding waste depot disposal fees
• Avoiding costs of importing quarry-sourced fill
• Reduced transport costs for disposal/importing activities
• Opportunity to share transport costs between sites Broader benefits to soci ety and environment come from saving valuable landfill space for municipal waste and cutting transport emissions if the receiving site is closer than the waste depot.
We’ve all seen “Clean Fill Wanted” signs prominently displayed on vacant lots, but mo...



