To celebrate World Soil Day on Saturday 5 December, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) South Western branch is hosting an evening webinar with Professor Mark Fitzsimons from the University of Plymouth who will be reviewing the work being done on artificial soils.
Soil degradation is a critical and growing global problem. Increase in the world population has added to pressure on soil, and its natural capital faces continuing decline. Within the EU, the legislative framework on waste management is provided by the EU Waste Framework Directive. The Directive sets the following waste hierarchy to be applied as a priority order in member states: prevention, preparing for reuse, recycling, other recovery and disposal. As such, disposal to landfill is the least favoured option meaning that a large amount of biodegradable waste must be diverted from landfills to other organic waste management practices.
Artificial soils offer a potential route for the recycling of waste materials and their associated capital, within the terrestrial environment, and potential mixtures of large volume mineral and organic green waste have been evaluated for high (horticulture/agriculture) and low (amenity/restoration) value markets.
This webinar will assess the feasibility of new soils composed from these materials and consider the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The webinar is open to members and non-members of CIWEM and will be delivered via Zoom. Visit the CIWEM webinar page for further information and to register your place. NB: Registrations will close 24 hours before the event starts.