Mobile reedbed

Temporary green water treatment now available off-the-peg

A reedbed may not sound like the most mobile of waste management systems, but thanks to environmental consultancy Aardvark you can now have a temporary one up and running within four hours.

The innovative Rentareedbed system works exactly like a permanent reedbed, using its Norfolk reeds and micro-organisms to break down waste naturally, yet it can be deployed to sites where waste management needs may be temporary or variable. So campsites can use them to deal with the school holiday rush, factories at times of peak production and music festivals to ensure a chemical-free weekend clean up.

Grown in lightweight cattle feeders, the modular reedbeds can be connected to deal with any size of waste problem. So, for example, they can cope with 700,000 cubic litres of water waste from Heathrow Airport’s green waste composting - or simply be brought in for a green wedding day. Another great advantage of the Rentareedbed system is that it can provide a testing ground for those who are not convinced by the effectiveness of reedbed waste management.

“A lot of people say ‘I really want a reedbed but I’m not sure it will work for me’,” explains Adam Robbins, an environmental scientist for Aardvark. “So this is an ideal way to try it out.”

The reedbeds can be adapted to fit any current waste system. The reeds are reusable as roofing material, while the waste sludge makes good fertiliser. - Iain Aitch

24 June 2007

Iain Aitch