The construction sector is the largest producer of waste in France: responsible for 70% of all waste produced in France, that is 220 Mt per year…
The management of excavated soil is not covered by the extended producer responsibility, but the French law on circular economy and the decree n° 2021-321 do nevertheless reinforce the traceability of excavated soil.
This traceability requirement serves to combat illegal dumping and encourages the reuse of excavated soil or “tex”. Tex is soil extracted from a construction site that is reused to fill in old quarries or for road construction.
The traceability of tex from the point of extraction to the point of reuse is essential, especially as this soil can only be reused after it has been treated to remove all lethal pollutants. The overriding interest here is the health and well-being of us all.
Moreover, the traceability and reuse of excavated soil has a real economic interest. By favouring alternatives to the exploitation of raw materials, we optimise the transport circuits. According to Ademe, the use of tex can reduce the quantity of new materials used by up to 87%, which represents a cost reduction of 10%. The reuse of tex also creates a significant number of jobs on the market.
However, to achieve these benefits, it is necessary to have a traceability system that generates credible and reliable data that can attest to the environmental exemplarity of the site.
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