London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

5.29. Nevertheless, the data estimates in Table 5.5 provide an insight into the fate of ‘hard’
and ‘excavation’ wastes arising from construction and demolition sites. Taking the ‘mid’
level from the above table, it can be seen that for London, the destinations for waste
arisings (by percentage by weight) are noticeably different from those for England in
the following respects:
• Disposal to landfill (2.5% in London compared to 4.4% in England).
• Landfill restoration and engineering (3.6% in London compared to 9.8% in
England).
• Backfill of quarry voids (6.3% in London compared to 11.9% in England).
• Spreading on registered exempt sites (7.3% in London compared to 25.2% in
England).
5.30. However, performance is similar for:
• Use as a recycled soil (8.6% in London compared to 7.7% in England).
5.31. Therefore it is apparent that London performs significantly better for:
• Use as a recycled aggregate (71.7% in London compared to 41% in England).
5.32. The Symonds study also identified the distance travelled from site to licensed landfill or
registered exempt site. The survey methodology asked respondents for an ‘estimate of
the maximum distance from which most C&D and soils travel to landfill’. The survey
results showed that very little ‘hard’ and ‘excavated’ construction and demolition waste
from London travelled more than 25 miles to a landfill or exempt site and only a small
proportion is hauled greater than 15 miles for recycling. With regard to the last bullet
point above, these transport statistics suggest that the majority (71.7%) of ‘recycled
aggregate’ is recycled and reused within London or within a radius of up to 25 miles.
Other Data Sources
5.33. It is possible that the relatively lower rate of landfilling of London’s construction and
demolition wastes in comparison with England and Wales as a whole is likely to be due
to its urban nature, i.e., the lack of landfills and quarries, farms, golf courses and other
land often used for the disposal of waste on registered exempt sites within a reasonable
proximity, in addition to the costs of transport. This same feature could help to explain
the relatively high use of recycled aggregates in London, i.e. the cost and limited
availability of bulk fill and virgin aggregate in London. The two factors combine to
result in a positive and valuable use of materials that in other circumstances would
perhaps be disposed of as waste.
5.34. There is a downward trend in the amount of construction and demolition waste going to
landfill, as measured by the Quality of Life Indicator. This is illustrated on a national
basis in Figure 5.3 below.
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