Yorkshire Water and Biffa have teamed up for a project to recycle the grit by-product of the water and wastewater treatment processes.

Instead of sending it to landfill, the grit, which is screened out as water and wastewater is processed at treatment works, is being reused and recycled, with 6,300 tonnes processed into reusable material since April 2019.

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

That means nothing is wasted from the water treatment process, including the by-product from washing the grid which is used in tree planting projects across Yorkshire.

The project supports Yorkshire Water’s Carbon Route Map, which includes sustainability targets to reach net zero carbon by 2030 as well as to reduce, reuse and recycle more.

Dave Turner, Contracts Manager at Yorkshire Water said: “Yorkshire Water is working hard to achieve its aim of reaching carbon net zero by 2030. We have already made significant headway on our journey 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.”