The ReCon Soil (Interreg FCE project) brings together the expertise of scientists, educators and industry to revolutionise how waste material from construction projects is managed.
The €2.5 million project aims to develop sustainable soils from construction waste and agricultural by-products.
Healthy soil is at the heart of agriculture and is essential for maintaining quality food production. Soil is also the largest carbon store on earth, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and preserve biodiversity.
Yet, while food security and agricultural sustainability remain two of the great global challenges of the 21st century, the construction industry in the UK and France is paying over to £3billion per annum to dispose of waste soil from building sites. ReCon Soil seeks to support the construction industry to find new ways to reuse waste soils safely, especially where it contributes to reduced carbon emissions and acts as a low carbon technology.
Soil Research at UEA
UEA is a partner organisation in this cross-Channel research project, bringing expertise in soil science, spatial analysis and environmental economics.
The Research Excellence Framework assessment (2021) showed that over 91% of UEA's research activity was "world-leading" or "internationally excellent”. The School of Environmental Sciences is one of the longest established, largest and most fully developed interdisciplinary institutions of its kind in Europe. In 2017, The Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, was awarded to the School, marking 50 years of ground-breaking environmental science research and teaching.
Our research team
Research partners
