Enva open new ash recycling facility

Local MP Mhairi Black officially opens £1.5 million fly ash recycling plant in Paisley, Scotland

MHAIRI Black, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, has officially opened Enva’s new £1.5 million ash recycling plant in Paisley, Scotland.

The unique facility treats up to 20,000 tonnes a year of fly ash from biomass and energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities. 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.

To deliver their ash recycling solution, Enva have partnered with Anglo Scottish Concrete Holdings (ASCH) – a long-established concrete and aggregate supply company. Both firms share an ambition to be at the forefront of the circular economy and are working to replace quarried aggregates with recovered materials.

Commenting on the opening Ms Black, said: ‘Enva’s ash recycling plant showcases how Scottish businesses are innovating and driving the development of the circular economy. In addition to the clear environmental benefits, investment in these sustainable technologies creates jobs and helps to support local economies. This is only the start of the journey and I look forward to seeing how this exciting facility develops over the coming months and years.’

Enva chief executive officer Tom Walsh commented: ‘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 utilize 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.’

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. This will help to market and position the product alongside its virgin counterparts.

In parallel, Enva are also working closely with local construction companies to supply a new sand replacement product for several applications, which will further help to reduce the carbon footprint from the production of quarried materials and their transportation.