Case study – Environmental impacts – Waste and materials

Zero waste to landfill pilot success

A team from Tube Lines set a new standard by reusing or recycling almost 99 per cent of the waste from upgrade works on a cutting beside the Jubilee line track at Kingsbury. It was the first project of its kind to participate in the zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) initiative and it exceeded all expectations. The pilot was so successful in demonstrating what can be achieved through careful and considerate planning of waste management practices that it is set to become the first of many.

Work began in May and was finished two weeks ahead of schedule in August. During this time, more than 4,000 tonnes of material were removed from the site for reuse and recycling. This included 380 tonnes of vegetation sent for chipping, 1,900 tonnes of soil and clay reused as capping material at Gerrards Cross landfill site, and 100 tonnes of concrete and rubble crushed for reuse as aggregate. Another 1,800 tonnes of filling material were sent to Tube Lines’ third platform project at Stanmore under licence from the Environment Agency.

The team also cleared rubbish from the trackside area and sorted this out for recycling. Reprocessed topsoil was used for the slope and logs were retained to preserve a natural wildlife habitat.

Ali Al-Ashbal, Senior Field Engineer and day-to-day manager, is convinced that the team’s achievements were down to a determination to succeed. Ann Joyce, P-Way Environmental Manager, agrees that effective teamwork was key. “The only way to make sure everything came together was for people to sit down and discuss what needed to be done, decide what the obstacles were and join forces to overcome them,” she explains. “ Collaboration was crucial, but so was the commitment and genuine desire to make the project happen and this was evident all the way along.”

“This has helped us to focus on reusing materials and it has improved our materials management, housekeeping and even safety on-site, too,” adds Dave Harris, Construction Manager. “When you run a well ordered site in this way, thinking carefully about everything you do, it gets into the culture and sets the tone for the whole job. The workmen readily embraced new practices and adapted to them, which was very pleasing. As well as reducing our impact on the environment, it helps our budget. The materials we were able to reuse at our Stanmore site saved us about £25,000. We are adopting ZWTL at other sites, such as our new project at Hounslow, where it will save us £60,000.”

“The project team fully embraced the zero waste to landfill concept and should be congratulated for their near perfect diversion of waste from landfill at Kingsbury,” adds Mark Edwards, Manager of Special Projects – ZWTL.

Tube Lines was supported on this project by the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), which aims to bring together companies to promote efficiency in the use of resources. NISP is part-funded by DEFRA's Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme. We will continue to work with NISP to roll out other projects under this scheme.