Sustainable remediation can be defined as a remedy or combination of remedies whose net benefit on human health and the environment is maximized through the judicious use of limited resources (SURF, 2009).

As such, a sustainable remediation evaluation includes assessing the potential impacts to all three integrated dimensions of the triple bottom line: environment, society, and the economy.

Sustainable remediation practices are not only those that reduce global impacts (e.g., greenhouse gases), but also practices that reduce local atmospheric effects, potential impacts on worker and community safety, and/or the consumption of natural energy resources (beyond fuel consumption) that might be attributable to remediation activities.

Watch this short video from our SURF affiliate in the UK to learn the basics of sustainable remediation.