Environmental Innovation

Earth Exchange Ltd was one of our joint Environmental Innovation winners, for its waste exchange website which had achieved efficiency savings of £2.2 million since 2008.

In one year the site has allowed over 45,000 tonnes of materials to be diverted from landfill and saved 160,000 haulage miles from transporting waste. 250 tonnes of CO₂ have been saved by match-making sites that have deficits in materials with those that have surplus.

The activity:

The construction industry accounts for around one-third of the UK’s total waste. Through earthexchange.com the construction industry can now efficiently streamline and simplify the recycling and reuse philosophy. Users can identify where construction sites are or will be, who is operating there, what and when surplus materials are available, which sites have a deficit in materials, and even the opportunity to match sites with a surplus/deficit of materials.

The savings:

Since July 2008, over 45,000 tonnes of material has been diverted from landfill, over 81,000 tonnes has been exchanged and over 160,000 haulage road miles have been saved (resulting in 250 tonnes of CO₂ savings) – all with an approximate total cost saving of £2.2 million.

The benefits:

earthexchange.com highlights the materials that are actually being generated or currently required, in real time, and is the first time that the construction industry has beenoffered the chance to make such connections.