Some properties of industrial fill

The use of waste industrial and construction products for engineering fill has been practised for at least the last 40 years. Legislation over the last 20 years has, however, made their use more attractive in the UK for both financial and sustainability reasons.

The UK government introduced an aggregate tax on the exploitation of natural aggregates in April 2002, and the rate currently stands at £2.00 per tonne as of January 2015. Recycled waste products are exempt from the tax. In 1996, the UK government introduced a landfill tax to discourage the disposal of waste to landfill. As of January 2015 charges stand at £80.00 per tonne for active waste and £2.50 per tonne for inactive waste (generally concrete, brick, glass and soil). Similar taxes also apply in New Zealand and California, USA.