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Material Recovery Facility, Bargeddie

The Viridor MRF in Bargeddie accepts residual waste from five local authorities. The waste is processed and separated on site to recover or recycle as much material as possible. After processing, this waste then leaves the site either for further recovery or for final disposal.  

The site is authorised, regulated and inspected by SEPA and operates within the terms of a licence granted under the Waste Management Licensing (Scotland) Regulations 2011. Attached to this licence are a set of conditions relating to on-site activity.  

Latest update

Site update

Date published: 04 October 2024

Since April this year, SEPA have received an increased number of complaints from the community surrounding Viridor relating to issues experienced with odour compared to previous years.

In response to this, and two substantiated odour non-compliances identified since the beginning of the year, SEPA have requested that Viridor update their odour management plan to ensure that it reflects current management practices. This includes detailed description and justification of the adopted control measures.

The purpose of this is to ensure that Viridor is addressing the risk of non-compliance with the odour condition and to ensure that odour impacts on nearly communities is prevented. 

Following a review of the updated odour management plan by SEPA it's considered that the plan doesn't demonstrate that the risk of odour released is adequately controlled. Based on this, SEPA is considering further action to address the risk of further non-compliance with Waste Management Licence condition on odour.

In relation to fly activity, which had previously caused impacts earlier in the year, SEPA have received very few related reports over the warmer summer months in 2024. Based on this, and observations on site SEPA consider that fly activity has been well controlled dover the summer in accordance with licence conditions.

Public engagement:

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

SEPA will only make further contact with you in relation to complaints where necessary for evidence-gathering purposes and in most cases, you won't receive any further update from us in respect to a complaint. Relevant updates will be made available on the Bargeddie Materials Recycling Facility hub page.

View previous updates

Need to report an odour?

When you report an odour to SEPA it is very helpful if you can be as descriptive as possible. Potential odours from Viridor Material Recover Facility range from:

  • Like a general waste bin smell to;
  • Sour solvents or sour vinegar odours.

Abnormal fly numbers are considered to be where over 25 flies are identified internally within a 48hr time period.