A brand new remediation know-how, ReBind, is claimed to supply a cheap, on-site answer for dealing with contaminated soil on brownfield redevelopment websites, in line with the group behind it.
Developed by SMR UK, the patented binder is alleged to allow builders to stabilise and reuse as much as 100% of contaminated floor, avoiding escalating landfill prices and decreasing environmental impression.
The launch comes as remediation prices proceed to rise. The usual price of landfill tax elevated to £126.15 from April 2025. Mixed with disposal charges, eradicating hazardous soil can attain £160 per tonne, an more and more unviable route for a lot of developments. With shrinking landfill capability and rising prices, councils and builders are beneath stress to search out quicker, extra inexpensive options.
“Landfill tax was meant to encourage extra sustainable alternate options, but it surely has made remediation financially out of attain for a lot of tasks,” mentioned Clare Thomas, Managing Director of SMR UK.
“ReBind provides a direct, cost-effective choice, treating soil on-site, slicing disposal prices, and decreasing mission timelines by as much as 75%. It additionally reduces the necessity for importing supplies, decreasing carbon impression and transport disruption.”
In contrast to conventional remediation strategies equivalent to lime, ReBind is a patented, lime-free binder that works in all climate and eliminates delays attributable to lime mellowing. It additionally permits for a change in specification, decreasing layer depths in comparison with conventional excavation and elimination approaches. The group says this considerably reduces programme time, whereas nonetheless attaining the mandatory load-bearing power (CBR) for a variety of growth websites.
ReBind is already in use on stay tasks and has delivered confirmed outcomes. On a large-scale infrastructure scheme in Melton Mowbray, SMR UK labored with MWH Remedy Ltd to stabilise contaminated floor circumstances on-site, avoiding the necessity to take away over 8,300m² of spoil and change it with imported supplies. The answer prevented over 1,300 car actions and saved greater than £2 million in prices whereas decreasing carbon emissions by 1,272 tonnes of CO₂e.
“These outcomes clearly present how ReBind can overcome complicated floor circumstances and assist meet strict environmental targets,” mentioned Clare Thomas.
“We’re now taking a look at how the identical strategy will be utilized to residential developments, particularly those who have stalled because of the excessive value of land remediation.”
SMR UK has additionally labored with main builders, together with Vistry Houses, Redrow, Bellway, and David Wilson Houses, utilizing its soil stabilisation know-how on lively websites.
ReBind is designed to deal with a variety of contaminants discovered on brownfield websites. These embrace heavy metals, hydrocarbons (equivalent to petroleum residues and BTEX compounds), polycyclic fragrant hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated solvents, industrial chemical substances, pesticides, and herbicides. It’s also efficient on tougher substances, together with fluorinated compounds, chlorobenzenes, phenols, nitrates, phosphates, energetics, and a number of types of asbestos, together with chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. This intensive remedy vary makes ReBind well-suited to websites with complicated contamination profiles.
The launch helps the UK authorities’s Brownfield Launch Fund, which gives £180 million to English councils to hurry up the event of disused land. One of many greatest limitations to utilizing this funding is the price of remediation. ReBind provides a option to considerably lower these prices by as much as 50% when time, supplies, and transport are thought of, making beforehand stalled or unviable websites viable once more.
With over 28 million tonnes of soil despatched to UK landfills yearly, the trade faces rising stress to maneuver away from dig-and-dump options. The federal government has even explored a Landfill Tax Grant Scheme to assist native authorities deal with the monetary burden. However the actual reply, many argue, is to cut back landfill reliance altogether. On-site options like ReBind permit tasks to go forward whereas complying with environmental laws.
SMR UK is working with housing builders, civil engineering contractors, and native authorities to combine ReBind into new tasks. Early trials are exhibiting vital financial savings, stronger compliance, and smoother supply.
Claire Thomas commented: “As native councils work to speed up brownfield growth beneath authorities funding schemes, applied sciences like ReBind may play a pivotal position in unlocking beforehand unviable websites and delivering new houses quicker and extra sustainably.”
For extra info on ReBind or to request a session, go to www.smruk.com.
