Worth £1.2m, the eight-year partnership will see the local authority process 10 tonnes of domestic and commercial black bag waste into Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) daily at its waste transfer site in Market Stance, Benbecula.
Powered by Advetec’s XO22 digester, this initiative aims to cut the need for waste transportation from Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides to landfill in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis – 93 miles away – by significantly reducing the volume of waste on ferries.
This has been the only way to remove domestic and commercial waste for many years and is said to mark a revolutionary shift for the Isles.
The XO22 acts as a mechanical biological treatment plant in a box and accelerates the breakdown of organic matter using blends of bacteria. The process stabilises, reduces and repurposes non-recyclable waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill or for incineration, turning it into SRF.
The new contract forms part of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar’s broader waste innovation strategy. The council is said to be preparing for Scotland’s upcoming 2026 ban on sending biodegradable waste to landfills.
Change ‘urgently needed’
Paul Steele, leader of Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, said: “This investment is hugely beneficial for the people of the Western Isles and our local environment. Our new approach reduces the number of trucks and ferries required to move waste around the isles and will transform it into a commodity. Converting this waste into fuel is a much more sustainable solution and allows us to extract greater value from something once deemed worthless. It also prepares us for the 2026 ban on biodegradable waste sent to landfills.”
Lee Knott, chief executive officer at Advetec, said: “40% of UK waste cannot be recycled. This waste is traditionally sent to landfill or for low-level incineration. However, increasing gate fees, waste-related taxes and restrictions mean these routes are no longer sustainable. Change is urgently needed.
“From our first meeting with Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, they demonstrated a genuine appetite to embrace positive change and overhaul their waste habits. Their investment in biotechnology provides them with the means to process waste themselves, save money, reduce road and water miles, protect local communities, and turn rubbish into fuel that will help other industries decarbonise more quickly. It presents a vast set of wins.
“We have had a resounding response to our biotechnology because waste producers and handlers urgently need to innovate, stabilise costs and focus on carbon reduction. Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar is the first council to harness innovation in this way, and we expect more to follow suit quickly.”
Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar is expected to take delivery of its XO22 digestor early next year.
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