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Enva Composting Site, Blantyre

The Enva composting site accepts green waste, primarily from Local Authority food and garden waste bin collections, which is treated through an In-Vessel Composting process. This process is odorous and has resulted in impact to local communities.

The site is authorised under a PPC Part A permit regulated by SEPA.

SEPA take complaints of odour from this site seriously and are actively working with the operator to address the issues and secure compliance.

Latest update

Works carried out to address the identified odour issues

Date published: 25th August 2023

Following discussion with the SEPA the operator has undertaken to carry out major infrastructure works to address the identified odour issues from the site. SEPA has served an enforcement notice requiring that the site complies with odour conditions by 01 April 2023. The details of the proposals for how the operator will achieve this has changed from what was initially proposed.

The new proposed upgrades comprise of an enclosure of the maturation shed, installation of an Aerated Static Pile (ASP) system in that building, and treatment of air via a new bio-filter prior to release to atmosphere. The existing composting vessels (IVCs) will also undergo renewal and repair of doors, roofs and pipework.

Enva has ceased accepting mixed biodegradable (food and garden) waste to be processed on site to enable these works to commence. It is anticipated that all mixed waste currently on-site undergoing treatment will be treated prior to SEPA’s Enforcement Notice deadline of 1 April 2023.

From 1 April the site will continue to accept green waste (grass and plant cuttings with no food waste). Some mixed food and garden waste will continue to be accepted, bulked and transferred to alternative sites for treatment.

What we have done

SEPA served a Reg 55 Enforcement Notice to require that the operator undertakes the proposed infrastructure improvements in a timely manner. This notice codified the proposals put forwards by the operator and timescales which were achievable but not excessive. The operator has subsequently significantly amended these proposals. Therefore the initial notice was withdrawn and a new one issued which requires compliance by the same 01 April 2023 date but does not specify the details of the steps which must be taken to achieve compliance.

SEPA have also undertaken several inspections over the past year and highlighted breaches of permit conditions in relation to waste storage volumes, timescales and the manner in which waste was stored on site. The operator was required to reprocess and remove significant volumes of off-spec waste material.

Officers have also highlighted permit breaches in relation to failures in the management of leachate and surface waters and required that the operator cease the release of impacted surface water to the environment until improvement works to address these issues have been carried out. Work is ongoing to resolve these permit breaches.

Discussion with the operator has also identified a number of management and infrastructure improvements to address several smaller potential sources of odour. This work is in conjunction with ongoing BREF review work to bring the activities on site in line with Best Available Techniques.