New partnership tackles contamination in dredge materials

Two Plymouth organizations – the University of Plymouth and Recycle it Global (RiG) – have launched a collaborative project to tackle the complex challenges posed by contaminated marine dredged materials.

According to the University of Plymouth, a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership will unite their research expertise in environmental chemistry and sustainable construction methods with the company’s work to develop innovative marine bioremediation technologies.

The project will involve the development of an innovative technique to remove contaminants from a range of waste streams, with a particular focus on materials dredged from the marine environment. Those materials will be treated using innovative marine bioremediation technologies developed by RIG to sustainably treat contaminated dredged materials.

The technology, to be initially deployed at RIG’s base at Cattedown, will be adaptable to many different biochemical variables and enable the company to process and land large volumes of dredged material from local waters and those across the UK that cannot be managed through conventional disposal routes.

The project addresses the absence of safe, cost-effective disposal methods for these materials, transforming a regulatory challenge into a commercial opportunity by creating valuable construction materials and supporting the company’s expansion into the £20 bn global dredging market, the University of Plymouth concluded.