Hazardous waste disposal can quickly become one of the biggest costs on a construction or development project. Where contaminated soils, concrete or other construction materials are involved, disposal costs can escalate rapidly, potentially having a significant impact on project budgets and even the overall viability of a scheme.
That’s why we’re excited to announce that, from October 2026, our RIG Scorrier facility will begin accepting hazardous wastes, providing construction projects across Cornwall and beyond with a more cost-effective alternative to traditional hazardous waste disposal.
Importantly, this new capability is being introduced under strict environmental, operational and safety controls. The handling, storage and treatment of hazardous materials will be carried out in accordance with our permit requirements, approved procedures and robust site protocols, with RIG working closely with the relevant regulatory bodies and agencies to ensure every stage of the process is managed correctly and responsibly.
What can you expect from October 2026?
Our Scorrier facility will be able to accept a range of hazardous wastes, including two particularly relevant waste codes for the construction sector:
17 05 03 – Soils and stones containing hazardous substances
17 01 06 – Concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics containing hazardous substances
Contamination can include heavy metals, hydrocarbons and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), all of which can be addressed through our specialist decontamination and remediation processes.
Every load will be subject to strict waste acceptance procedures to ensure materials are correctly identified, characterised and suitable for acceptance under our permit before treatment begins. This provides customers with confidence that hazardous waste is being managed through a controlled, compliant and traceable process.
From hazardous waste to reusable aggregate – keeping it circular
Our approach isn’t simply about disposing of contaminated material.
Through our specialist decontamination processes, we clean and remediate suitable waste materials, with the aim of transforming them into compliant recovered aggregate that can be returned to productive use within the construction sector.
This creates an opportunity to move away from the traditional “dispose and replace” model and towards a more circular approach, where materials that may otherwise have been sent for disposal can potentially be recovered and reused.
Throughout this process, environmental protection and safe operating practices remain fundamental. Hazardous materials are managed within clearly defined procedures and controls, with appropriate testing, monitoring and verification undertaken to demonstrate that materials have been treated correctly before any recovered products are considered for reuse.
We also offer significant discounts to customers who purchase recovered construction products back from us once they have been successfully decontaminated and meet the required specifications.
Reducing the cost of hazardous waste disposal
One of the key advantages of our Scorrier facility is that it is not a landfill.
As a result, material treated through the facility is not subject to the £130.75 per tonne landfill tax that can apply to hazardous waste sent to landfill. This has the potential to make our solution significantly more cost-effective than traditional disposal routes.
Even when the cost of transporting material over longer distances is taken into account, RIG’s solution can provide substantial savings compared with conventional disposal options.
For construction projects dealing with significant volumes of contaminated material, those savings could have a meaningful impact on overall project costs.
Crucially, those savings are achieved through treatment, recovery and responsible management of the material, not by compromising on environmental standards, safety or regulatory compliance.
Could this make previously unviable projects viable?
For developers and contractors working on brownfield sites, waste disposal can sometimes be one of the factors that makes a project financially challenging.
A site may have significant development potential, but the cost of removing and disposing of contaminated material can make the overall project difficult to justify.
With a lower-cost disposal and remediation option available at Scorrier, there may now be an opportunity to revisit projects where hazardous waste disposal costs have previously been a barrier.
By combining specialist treatment, strict regulatory controls and the potential recovery of construction materials, we are aiming to provide the industry with a solution that is both commercially attractive and environmentally responsible.
Talk to us about your next project
Whether you have a project already underway, one due to start shortly or a development planned for the future, we would be interested in discussing your requirements.
If your project involves contaminated soils, concrete, bricks, tiles or ceramics, speak to RIG about how our Scorrier facility could help reduce disposal costs while ensuring hazardous materials are handled safely, responsibly and in accordance with the appropriate regulatory requirements.
From October 2026, a more cost-effective, controlled and circular approach to hazardous construction waste will be available in Cornwall.
See below the accepted waste codes:
Contact RIG today to discuss your current, upcoming or future projects.
sales@rig-uk.com | 01209 702877 (select option 1)