Introduction

The UK Government, under the direction of John Prescott of the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), has initiated a 10-year plan to develop an integrated transport system in the UK. As part of this ambitious plan there will be substantial investment in the road and rail network along with other construction programmes such as "Park and Ride" schemes. The investment over these 10 years is expected to total £180bn, with £132bn coming from public funding.

This dramatic investment will provide an excellent opportunity for the consumption of current arisings and stockpiled waste from the non-ferrous metals industry, potentially in the local region. This report keys into this opportunity, providing a review of current arisings of such wastes from the UK nonferrous metals industry, their potential for use in highway construction, and the barriers to consumption.

Clearly the reduction in waste materials sent to landfill will be of benefit to the waste producer and the wider community, but utilisation of these waste streams will also have benefits to the construction industry, ensuring the sustainability of construction projects. Sustainable construction is a major policy driver for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Construction Industry Directorate, and the use of waste streams in this current development of the transport infrastructure supports the environmental and sustainability aspects of the 10-year plan.