Project Information

Construction company Skanska, working with innovative start-up firm Quantum Waste, developed a pioneering solution for waste collection and recycling at Pudding Mill Lane, one of the main construction sites for the London’s Crossrail project, the largest infrastructure project in Europe.

Every day, the team would collect segregated waste in clear bags and transport it to a recycling facility nearby. Quantum Waste’s unique solution involves the organic waste being treated in a ‘pod’, where it’s turned into compost in a fortnight.

What’s innovative is that Quantum Waste collects the waste and treats it all in London, turning 90% of the waste into a resource, and transporting it for an average of just 2.2 miles compared with the London average of 25 miles.

A staggering 300 tonnes of waste was collected and treated from Pudding Mill Lane between April and September 2013. Skanska’s target was to ensure 90% of that waste was diverted from landfill – that target was met.

Pedro Serrano, Environment Manager at Skanska, said: “The project team is always looking at ways to do things more efficiently and sustainably. The use of the Quantum Waste solution at Pudding Mill Lane is a great example of this, and it’s fantastic that the process not only diverts waste from landfill, but that it’s all treated locally.”

Javier Rojo, Quantum Waste’s director, said: “Our team collects the waste daily, so there are no smells, no pests, no overflowing bins and no need for large storage areas. All the recyclable waste we collect is sold to be turned into new products, and the organic waste is turned into compost.”

All the waste recycling work done at Pudding Mill Lane was recognized by the industry when the project was short listed as a finalist on the 2013 Resource Revolution Awards in the Closed Loop category together with companies like Coca Cola and Marks & Spencer. Retail companies, with significant scrutiny from its retail customers, distinguish themselves for their environmental profiles but for a civil works construction operation working with a small start up company to be included in such a selected group is an exceptional achievement.

The project team is now looking at increasing recycling levels among Crossrail operations and is already busy working on a heat recovery application from the food waste collected which would be a first of its kind. Let’s do things the best way we possibly can and watch the progress!