For both companies, Vigier Holding AG and Toggenburger AG, the construction of the soil washing plant is a significant investment. The realization of the plant is a concrete response to the wish of the Canton of Berne to manage waste sustainably and to strengthen the circular economy, but also to become leading players in the circular economy in Switzerland. VITO Recycling AG focuses on the recycling of contaminated mineral construction waste as well as road collection and drilling muds.

Optimal location

VITO Recycling AG is the result of the know-how of two Swiss family businesses: On the one hand, Toggenburger AG, which has been active in the construction industry since 1927 and already operates two soil washing plants. On the other hand, Vigier SA, which has been committed to the treatment of waste through recycling in its various activities in the canton of Bern and Solothurn for 150 years.

The ideal location of the site Péry-La Heutte in the Bernese Jura in the middle of an existing road network with a connection to the rail network and in the immediate vicinity of Vigier Ciment, would enable the treatment of contaminated mineral construction waste from all regions of Switzerland while at the same time ecologically optimizing the transport routes.

The high technical level of the plant and its installations enables almost 100% recycling of incoming materials and the extraction of new raw materials for Vigier's concrete and cement activities, the two partners write. In addition, the planned new plant guarantees the highest standards of safety and environmental compatibility, they add.

Total capacity of 200,000 tons per year

It is planned that construction work on the new soil washing plant will continue until the end of 2022. The total capacity of the plant (VITO Recycling Floor Washing System Technical Data) will be 200,000 tons per year, according to the information. Furthermore, the plant will be expanded with an additional technical device for the treatment of road collection and drilling mud in order to respond to this growing need in Switzerland in an environmentally sound manner.

Almost no water from the public network

For the actual operation of the plant, for washing out the material, no water from the public network is required. The water used is rainwater from the hall roof, the hall forecourt and the outdoor storage areas. This process water is permanently cleaned and reused in a closed circuit. Depending on the weather period (dry/wet), there may be a deficit or surplus of process water. The balance is created by temporarily storing surplus water in a converted 10,000 m3 standing tank and drawing it again as needed.

Water from the public network is only required in small quantities for flocculant preparation and for cleaning the chamber filter press. If, despite the retention tank mentioned, there is a shortage of process water, this can be obtained from a nearby basin into which leachate from an operating tunnel of Ciments Vigier SA is fed and normally discharged into the Schüss. Comparable soil washing plants in Switzerland have no or comparatively small retention volumes. The very large retention volume available in the present case ensures that the operation of the washing plant is guaranteed even in exceptional weather conditions and, in particular, that no uncontrolled water has to be discharged into the wastewater treatment system or into the Schüss.

Source: Vigier Holding AG and Toggenburger AG