Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, UK: circular economy in the built environment

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project in Essex, UK, is transforming 670 ha of farmland back to coastal marshland. A total of 98% of excavated material from the Crossrail project in London has been recycled and reused, with almost half being shipped to Wallasea Island – more than 3 Mt. Up to six ships arrived daily at Wallasea, unloading 8000 t of excavated material. A total of 2400 shiploads of material were delivered, removing the requirement for 150 000 haulage lorry movements from London's roads. The recycled excavation material has been used to raise land levels at Wallasea by ∼1·5 m to create Europe's largest wetland nature reserve. The project includes an innovative flood defence system incorporating new seawalls to protect vulnerable coastal areas from flooding. Partnering with nature conservation charity RSPB was a key part of Crossrail's sustainability policy. The project provides an excellent example of the circular economy in the built environment, where construction materials have been reused in a high-value conservation project providing benefits for both people and wildlife.