4R Recycling’s team of Soil Scientists, Environmental Scientists and Operations personnel collectively provide a unique blend of experience, delivering bespoke solutions for land restoration schemes. We operate in two principal ways:

Recycling By-products to Land Restoration Sites

We operate a number of land restoration sites nationwide providing the producers of by-products with secure, long term recycling options for their materials. They can either be used as the permanent outlet or as an emergency backup outlet if the usual/regular recycling route is unavailable for any reason. Some of the sites under our management are large and can provide a home for materials for 10 years or more, while others will be relatively small and completed in a shorter time span.  

The benefits of adopting the 4R Recycling land restoration approach are:

• A sustainable use of suitable organic materials that can often be topped up to maintain required soil quality levels
• Conservation of natural resources, by avoiding the use of quarried or processed virgin materials in the restoration process
• Creating new soils and new carbon sinks by growing grass, trees or other suitable plant or species habitats
• Job creation in areas with an industrial history
• Return of derelict land to worthwhile use
• Environmental/ecological improvement
• Using many materials that were formerly disposed of to landfill thereby reducing costs for by-product producers and preserving landfill capacity

Brownfield Site Restoration

4R Recycling also restore any category of brownfield site on behalf of private companies and public authorities. Often there is a legal obligation on the land owner or site operator to restore a site to its original condition once the primary use (such as mineral or rock extraction) has ceased. We work in partnership with the site owner or operator to deliver a cost effective solution.

If it’s a question of obtaining relevant permissions and consents 4R Recycling takes care of the regulatory requirements prior to sourcing appropriate organic and inorganic “wastes” to provide benefits to the soils suitable for use in the scheme. Applied nutrients and organic matter allow sowings and plantings to establish quickly, stabilising the soils and preventing erosion of the areas.

A competitive fee is charged to the waste producers for this recycling service and income used to reduce overall restoration costs.

Typical sites restored by 4R Recycling include:

• Colliery spoil tips
• Former landfills
• Opencast coal sites
• Sand and gravel quarries
• Hard rock quarries
• China clay pits
• Eroded sites

For more information view our Leaflets.