Fears over food waste recycling

SCOTLAND’S environment watchdog is investigating “bioaerosol” pollution caused by food and garden waste recycling amid fears it poses a danger to public health.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has launched an inquiry into large-scale composting plants because of scientific claims they could cause illnesses.

Around 160 industrial-sized recycling facilities have sprung up in Scotland in recent years, turning tonnes of organic waste from gardens, kitchens, restaurants and farms into compost. Some researchers fear the sites could exacerbate asthma, respiratory infections and skin complaints in nearby residential areas as bioaerosols – airborne micro-organisms produced during composting – are released.

The rise in commercial composting has been sparked by ambitious Scottish Government “zero waste” targets that state that 70 per cent of all waste should be recycled by 2025. SNP ministers have supported recycling plants as an environmentally sound solution that cuts the amount of organic waste sent to landfill.

But scientists are concerned some organisms released during composting pose a health risk and may require new restrictions on where new facilities can be set up or the quantity of waste they handle.

James Curran, chief executive of Sepa, confirmed it is investigating. He said: “The number of commercial composting facilities in Scotland, and the amount of waste processed, continues to increase. This has led to concerns about the potential for composting activities to cause adverse health effects.

“There are many gaps and uncertainties in our scientific knowledge of the risks, particularly to people with existing health conditions. Research is being undertaken with a view to developing a more robust, risk-based and proportionate approach to the monitoring, assessment and regulation of commercial composting.”

The probe also involves experts from Scottish Water Horizons, a commercial recycling arm of Scottish Water and the UK Environment Agency.

It will focus on bioaerosols, which are already present in the air, particularly in rural areas and which are produced in large quantities at commercial composting plants and organic recycling facilities.

A Sepa spokesman added: “Research is being undertaken surrounding regulation of commercial composting facilities. This will lead to better understanding of the effects of composting processes and environmental conditions in influencing the release, spread and exposure to bioaerosols.”