In line with national and international requirements, the PLA promotes the use of dredged material for beneficial re-use, ranging from environmental enhancement initiatives to construction projects. In order to facilitate the beneficial re-use of dredged materials arising from dredging projects in the Thames, a beneficial uses register has been initiated and will continue to be held by the PLA. This register will provide a record of known demand for materials (quantity, material type, etc.) for initiatives which are likely to be within an economically viable distance of dredging sites in the PLA’s area of jurisdiction. Such a register aims to avoid, on the one hand, disposing of dredged material whilst, on the other, dredging additional marine aggregates of a similar nature and quantity from elsewhere to meet a defined need.
To date, no beneficial uses required small quantities of maintenance dredged material have been identified.