Aggregates reuse in Wales exceeds targets

THE amount of construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste in Wales being recycled for use as aggregates has increased and now exceeds the target set by the Welsh Assembly Government – two years early.

In 2001, 1.79 million tonnes of CD&E waste were recycled as aggregates and soil, representing 36% of total arisings. This rose to 2.68 million tonnes in 2003, representing 45% of arisings and more than the Government’s target of 40% reuse.

The estimate for total arisings of CD&E waste in 2003 is 6.01 million tonnes, a 20% increase from 2001 (5.02 million tonnes).

These figures are from the ‘Survey of the Arisings and Use of Construction, Demolition and Excavation Waste, Quarry Waste and Dredging Waste in Wales in 2003’, carried out by Smiths Gore on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Dr Beedell, one of the report’s authors, said the results posed some interesting challenges for the Government, now that its 40% reuse target for construction and demolition waste had been hit.

‘The Government and the Environment Agency are currently investigating the scope for further recycling. Reusing even more of the waste may require the development of new markets and incentives as our research, and previous studies, suggest the scope for further recycling may be limited unless there is further processing of the waste,’ he commented.