Enva’s new £1.5 million ash recycling plant in Paisley, Scotland treats up to 20,000 tonnes a year of fly ash from biomass and Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities.
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, Mhairi Black, officially opened the ash recycling plant. Enva says the ash, which would previously have been destined for disposal in hazardous landfill sites, is washed to remove contaminants and then combined with other materials to create a sustainable, concrete product.
Enva partnered with Anglo Scottish Concrete Holdings (ASCH), the concrete and aggregate supply company, to deliver the ash recycling solution. Enva says both companies share an ambition to be at the forefront of circular economy and are working to replace quarried aggregates with recovered materials.
Enva recently received confirmation from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) that it has upgraded the classification of the recycled aggregate from a ‘deregulated material’ to full ‘end of waste’ status. The company says this helps to market and position the product alongside its virgin counterparts.
Enva’s ash recycling plant showcases how Scottish businesses are innovating and driving the development of the circular economy.
In parallel, Enva is also working closely with local construction companies to supply a new sand replacement product for several applications which it says will further help to reduce the carbon footprint from quarried materials and their transportation.
Enva’s CEO, Tom Walsh, said: “The environmental benefits of recycling fly ash are compelling. Every tonne of recycled aggregate produced by this plant reduces demand for quarried materials by the same amount and working with ASCH can offset 200-300kg of virgin material in every tonne of concrete manufactured.
“In addition to the clear benefits of reducing waste to landfill the use of this recycled product enables construction companies to utilise secondary resources with comparable characteristics and qualities to those of virgin materials.
“Providing a solution that manages waste near to its point of production also has clear benefits. Reducing the associated haulage has saved an estimated 950,000kg of CO2.”