From soil to new raw material

The redevelopment of the Emma Quarter will release the necessary types of soil. To prevent the district from becoming impassable, GP Groot collection and recycling was asked to bulk up, inspect and process these types of soil for reuse. Construction and demolition waste was also transported to one of the recycling company's depots. An interview with Kees Kerssens, head of purchasing and sales of raw materials and residues.

GP Groot made agreements in the preliminary process with the municipality of Alkmaar (Stadswerk072) and Schot Infra regarding the acceptance of the batches of soil (sand, clay and peat) and construction and demolition waste released in the work, as well as the delivery of mixed granulate for the foundations under the roads. "During the period April 2018 to April 2019, we delivered a total of about 3,000 m³ of released soil took delivery," Kerssens looks back. "The soil types were deposited, inspected, sieved and processed into clean raw materials. The sand and peat were processed into garden soil by adding compost and soil improvers. The clay was made suitable for use as soil for verges or to raise dikes. Part of this in turn was used within the municipality of Alkmaar."

Totally circular
In each case, Schot Infra transported the released soil by axle to GP Groot's depots. "In many cases, mixed granulate was included on the 'return trip'. That completes the circular picture," says Kerssens. "In total, we delivered over 2,700 tons of mixed granulate for the Emma Quarter, the result of crushing rubble, also partly from the Emma Quarter. We also collected, sorted and processed all released waste materials, such as construction and demolition waste, PVC, wood, packaging materials, etc. Basically, we process all (construction) waste into usable raw materials. And we have been doing so with great passion for over a hundred years. GP Groot is a supplier of soil, compost and topsoil. We also supply mixed granulate, concrete and asphalt granulate in various compositions and sand and gravel substitute from our three soil banks in Alkmaar, Vijfhuizen and Middenmeer."