Do you know that used material for winter road maintanance also ends up in landfill sites?

What are street sweepings?

The law defines street sweepings as anything you sweep in streets, on pavements and car parks. It is special waste which is treated under specific conditions, i.e. it is possible to dispose of it at approved landfill sites only.

Grit recycling? Unfortunately, without success.

Sweepings consist of grit, mud, twigs, leaves and other organic substances, and also vehicle operating fluids. Thus, this material is hard to recycle.

Of course, tests to clean these sweepings for further utilization have been conducted.  However, due to high costs utilization of grit proved to be ineffective. Sweepings had to be washed, sieved and dried, but the result was unsatisfactory.

Some even used sweepings to repair paths and roads but walking or driving on shifting sands is truly impossible.

Even another way (placing sweepings under paving stones) proved to be inconvenient. The material was washed out by rain and the paving collapsed.

Tests conducted in order to reuse the grit failed as well. The gritter and spreader got clogged.

Therefore, disposing of grit  at landfill sites is currently the best solution.