Councils may benefit from composting road sweepings

However, ADAS is currently in discussions with the Environment Agency about the acceptability and legalities of using treated road sweepings on land.

” In Hereford and Worcester alone, the total output of road sweepings is 9,000 tonnes every year
“
– Ray Williams, ADAS

The company has undertaken a study, funded by Severn Waste Services in Hereford and Worcester, over the past year. The aim was to assess levels of contamination in road sweepings from hydrocarbon in oil, petrol and diesel. The potential for composting the material was also looked at.

Ray Williams, ADAS organic resource management sales manager said the company trialled composting road sweepings both mixed with green waste and without green waste and found that levels of contamination were usually quite low.

At certain times of the year the road sweepings also included leaves, which are known to help make a good quality compost.

Mr Williams said that in some of the trials, which used a variety of treatment methods with composting being the central part of each trial, the end product was potentially able to meet UK standards for topsoil or as material for the inclusion in the manufacture of soils.

PAS 100

Though he stressed that further work was needed in this area and that composted road sweepings would “never meet the standards of PAS 100”, the Compost Association's baseline standard for composted material.

ADAS believes there may be significant diversion from landfill through the composting of road sweepings. Mr Williams said: “In Hereford and Worcester alone, the total output of road sweepings is 9,000 tonnes every year.

“When you consider that this figure just applies to one region, it is clear that recycling road sweepings is a huge issue for local authorities and large savings are possible,” he added.