A groundbreaking partnership between Teesside University and waste recycling company Scott Bros aims to revolutionise carbon sequestration through an innovative soil mixture. The collaboration, which has been in progress for two years, focuses on capturing carbon dioxide using a blend of natural clay, construction by-products, and green waste.
A close-up of a young plant sprouting from the soil, with a man using a tablet to monitor data and a drone flying nearby, set against the backdrop of a deciduous forest. AI generated picture.
The project leverages an enhanced rock weathering (ERW) technique to sequester carbon and is specifically designed for use in urban and industrial areas with high CO2 emissions. By removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the soil not only contributes to sustainability efforts but also opens the door for Scott Bros to enter the carbon credit market.
‘This can be used by farmers, material waste managers, and government to evaluate their contribution to carbon budget and credits,’ said Dr. Sina Rezaei Gomari, Associate Professor at Teesside University and the project lead.
The collaboration is funded under a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), part of Innovate UK’s national innovation initiative. The research integrates artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of carbon captured in the soil.
‘This project will develop in-situ sensors and remote sensing platform to monitor soil carbon content and provide a machine learning model to predict the carbonation under different soil conditions for years to come,’ Gomari added.
Scott Bros, which aims to recycle 100% of its construction waste, sees the project as a digital breakthrough. ‘A digital solution will help us expand our reach, allowing us to offer our new MRV services across the country, and eventually to landowners and haulage companies internationally,’ said Peter Scott, Director at Scott Bros.
The initiative represents a significant step toward making carbon markets more accessible and reliable, enabling landowners and businesses to monetise their role in supporting nature restoration.
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