Wessex Water is getting closer to achieving its ambitious target to to divert 100% of its waste across the whole business from being sent to landfill by 2020.

The water company is already within reach of the target – Wessex has achieved over 97% diversion from landfill, with the remaining 3% accounted for by items such as contaminated soil and construction wastes that are difficult to reuse or recycle. One hundred per cent of office waste is already diverted from landfill.

James Peacock, waste management adviser at the water company said:

"As a utility company, must ensure we're doing our best for the environment and with landfill tax now at £80 a tonne it now makes economic sense to aim for these high recycling rates. It takes a bit more work and thinking about upfront, but results in us saving money and reducing our impact on the environment."

“Other water companies have made efforts to divert their office waste and specific construction waste, but we are the only company that has committed to ensuring all waste from across the business avoids a trip to the landfill site.”

The approach is being embraced throughout the business, including during major construction schemes.The new underground reservoir at Summerslade Down, near Warminster, that is part of the £230 million water supply grid  was constructed using over 40,000 tonnes of materials recycled on site, which would normally be sent to a recycling facility.

In addition to reducing vehicle movements, it also saved costs and carbon emissions from purchasing and transporting new building materials.

Now complete, the 8 million litre reservoir will provide further security of water supply for customers in the area, along with the rest of the Grid Corfe Mullen to Salisbury trunk main, which includes 65km of pipeline that will transport water from areas of surplus in Dorset to areas of predicted deficit in Wiltshire.

As well as construction, Wessex Water is also enforcing the zero waste promise throughout day-to-day operations, including the sewage treatment process. Plastic, paper and sanitary material from non-flushable items such as wet wipes and nappies that are screened out from sewage treatment works, as well as grit from the road falling into sewers are traditionally sent straight to landfill.

Instead, GENeco the company set up to spearhead Wessex Water’s aspiration to be carbon neutral and Zero Waste to landfill by 2020, composts the materials at Avonmouth sewage treatment works, as well as that from other companies. The firm is currently in discussion with the Environment Agency to determine the agricultural benefits of the resulting compost-like output. The results are already gaining interest from farmers due to its nutrient content and soil improving qualities.

Diverting all waste to landfill is just one of many initiatives Wessex Water said it is rolling out over the next five years to help the environment.