Viridor Bargeddie - WML/L/1028820

SEPA acknowledges the impact odour and flies can have on communities. We take complaints seriously and actively work with the operator to address the issues and secure compliance.

We have developed this page to share details of SEPA’s ongoing regulatory activities and progress at the site.

August 2023

Compared to last year, in 2023 so far there has been a significant reduction in the number of complaints associated with flies received by SEPA from communities surrounding Viridor. Despite this, SEPA continue to monitor the site in a proactive manner to ensure that Viridor continue to comply with licence conditions.

An inspection of Viridor on 19th July 2023 found no breaches in licence conditions. SEPA will continue to investigate issues of odour and flies associated with the site both in responding to complaints made by the public, and as part of our routine monitoring going forward. The frequency of this routine monitoring has increased, and this will continue for the duration of the warmer summer months. SEPA have, and will continue to, undertake inspections of the site and surrounding areas.

Following a meeting in early 2023 with Viridor management to discuss their plans for the warmer seasons and to reiterate their legal requirement to comply with licence conditions; to minimise the presence of insects and vermin on the site, and to prevent offensive odour out with the site boundary, Viridor have actively been engaging with SEPA to address issues raised over the previous year.

Flies

Viridor have taken numerous management and procedural actions in order to achieve compliance with their licence condition relating to flies, these include:

• Implementing a Pest Management Plan which comprehensively outlines the fly monitoring and mitigation processes on site.
• A change in the storage location of recycling waste fractions with all waste now stored within the main operations hall.
• Increasing the use of targeted, reactive application of insecticide during the working day.

More generally, Viridor have been trialling different insecticide formulations whilst also increasing the frequency of application where appropriate.

Odour

Viridor are reviewing their current odour management system and have increased the monitoring frequency of the odour filtration material to identify issues earlier.

The above measures reflect the continued positive engagement with Viridor to ensure compliance.

SEPA will continue to liaise with Viridor and the public through regular stakeholder meetings. 

Waste Management Licence

The operator has a waste management licence to operate (reference: WML/L/1028820) in accordance with The Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (as amended). The site accepts residual waste (i.e. the contents of domestic black bins) from a consortium of five local authorities. The waste is separated in order to recover or recycle as much as possible, the remaining waste will then leave the site for onward recovery.

The licence has a requirement stating Viridor must ‘minimise the presence of insects, birds and vermin’, and SEPA as the environmental regulator must ensure that all reasonable steps are being taken to comply with this. 

To meet their licence requirements, Viridor have a rolling programme of fly treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a pollution incident?

SEPA's 24-hour pollution hotline is always available via our online reporting form at sepa.org.uk/report or by telephone on 0800 80 70 60.

Contact SEPA as soon as you become aware of a potential pollution incident so we can begin investigations early. Provide as much information as you can, including the location and any relevant details.

If the complaint is related to odour, it is helpful for you to be as descriptive as possible so that we can try and ascertain where it may be coming from. This includes details such as the time you detected the odour, where you were and what it smelled like.

Can SEPA provide feedback in investigations into pollution reports?

We will provide updates via this page when new information becomes available, however, we must be careful not to provide unsubstantiated details or prejudice any enforcement action we may take.

Due to the number of reports received, we may not be able to provide an individual response to each pollution report.