Biffa and Yorkshire Water work together to reduce, reuse and recycle

Biffa, the leading sustainable waste management company and Yorkshire Water are working together to turn grit into blocks! The grit produced from Yorkshire Water treatment works is now being reused and recycled instead of going to landfill. Since April 2019 6,300 tonnes have been processed into reusable material.

What is grit?

In the water industry, grit is a material, which is screened out as water and wastewater is processed at treatment works. Previously, the removed grit was sent to landfill, but Biffa has worked closely with Yorkshire Water to develop a more sustainable alternative which turns the waste into a usable resource. #ReduceReuseRecycle.

How does it work?

Biffa collects the grit from more than 600 treatment works and transports it for processing into a blended aggregate*i which is ready for the construction sector to use in materials such as concrete blocks.

It means, nothing is wasted from the water treatment process, including the by-product from washing the grit which is used in tree planting projects across Yorkshire.
Tim Pamely, Corporate Account Manager at Biffa, said: “Biffa is delighted to be supporting Yorkshire Water’s Carbon Route Map, which includes sustainability targets to reach carbon net zero by 2030 as well as to reduce, reuse and recycle more.

We’ve worked together using innovative process design to create a sustainable alternative use for water treatment by-products like grit which is now being turned back into a usable product for the building sector. This scheme has also helped make our journeys more efficient decreasing emissions as there are fewer trucks on the road.”

Supporting customers to manage waste sustainably is a key part of Biffa’s sustainability strategy, “Resourceful, Responsible” launched in March 2020. By changing the way customers think about waste, Biffa is helping to solve the UK’s waste challenge and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Dave Turner, Contracts Manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Yorkshire Water is working hard to its aim of reaching carbon net zero by 2030. We have already made significant headway on our journey to carbon net zero with an 80% reduction in operational carbon emissions. New ways of working such as this partnership with Biffa, which reuses a by-product of the sewage and clean water treatment process, is vital in helping us achieve our goal.”

As well as recycling Yorkshire Water’s grit, Biffa is also working with the company to ensure the waste product is sent to a Yorkshire-based company and used to produce materials which are then used solely in Yorkshire.