India, May 3 -- Sometimes thought of as the 'Cinderella' of the natural world, soils store more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, are a precious resource which all too often goes unnoticed, underappreciated and at worst, simply thrown away.

More than half of the soil deriving from construction and demolition projects in England finds its way into landfill, arising to £1.42 billion annually as a functional value loss. Although in some cases soil has become contaminated, and poses a risk to people and the planet if not disposed of carefully. In the overwhelming majority of cases (98% was classified as inert waste) perfectly safe soil is sent via skips to landfill each year.

Drawing on examples of best practice from ...