Aims and Output
The ReCon Soil project will develop and roll out at least three recipes of reconstructed soils made from locally sourced construction waste and dredged sediments, and supplemented with agricultural by-products.
These recipes will be characterised in laboratories, and then trailed at sites in the UK and France, to establish their effectiveness as growing media and their potential environmental impact.
Data from these studies will be incorporated into a blueprint, detailing ingredients and methodology for those wanting to reproduce or use reconstructed soils.
The project will also establish five new low-carbon technology networks (with members from the construction, agricultural, conservation, and public sectors); and will train 200 workers. The project will also explore the policy barriers and regulatory impediments that would need to be addressed for soil reuse and reconstruction to be rolled out right across the construction sector. Through these activities ReCon Soil will translate its research outputs to commercialisation.
The ReCon Soil project has a total budget of €2.5m, of which €1.8m is funded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Interreg France (Channel) England (FCE) Programme.