“Minimising impact, maximising management”

Emissions Innovation

London needs a lot of facilities for managing and recycling waste. There is an increased pressure on local government to reduce the emissions from these facilities, which are frequently found in metropolitan areas. The companies responsible for the issue are eager to control emissions and lessen the effects of their operations, but they require creative solutions to help them pinpoint the sources of pollution, proactively manage levels on the ground, and guarantee the accuracy of scientific emissions data for all interested parties. There are also external factors to consider which can provide false-positives – these two must be factored in so that an accurate understanding of facts can be obtainted.

To address this challenge, Merton Council has initiated a pioneering project aimed at investigating how processes can be improved to prevent harm on our environment, health, and welfare. The Local Authority’s innovation partner, EMSOL, and 3 waste management facilities are all involved in the initiative. EMSOL, an emissions management business, placed air and noise quality monitors, video technologies, and other equipment at the three trash centres to manage, minimise, and document emissions control.

The three trash facilities are situated in Wimbledon’s Weir Road. The centres are surrounded by residential areas, and because waste site operations are so close to these neighbourhoods, concerns about the quality of the air and noise have become common.

Taking ownership and reducing impact

The three waste management facilities used an online dashboard to access their emissions data, where they could also add their own pollution insights and mitigations. Each company also received real-time pollution notifications when levels rose or exceeded safety thresholds at their location, allowing them to take prompt action to reduce air and noise pollution.

Every two weeks during the project, management meetings were held to allow all partners to share outcomes, talk about mitigating factors, and promote improvement. The three waste management facilities all made considerable efforts to lessen their impact, spending a significant amount of money to reduce emissions and enhance the wellness of the local community. 

EMSOL was able to demonstrate significant reductions in PM2.5 and PM10 by comparing the Particulate Matter (PM) measurements at the centres two months before mitigations and two months after. The neighbouring communities’ health and wellbeing were greatly impacted by this reduction in air pollution. The technology used by EMSOL facilitates transparency among all interested parties and delivers the data needed to demonstrate reductions.

The project has been monitored by the Environment Agency and Public Health England, with the former stating that they were impressed with the degree of business engagement and the technology’s approach to obtaining day-to-day outcomes.

What advantages have we seen?

1.  IoT data will help businesses take responsibility for their emissions output
2. Waste facilities will proactively take measures to reduce emissions if given the opportunity
3. Businesses will operate sustainably and continuously improve their practices if challenged to do so
4. By recording the environmental impact of pollution, businesses can work towards reducing it
5. Data obtained can help compliance with EFRA air quality guidelines and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11
6. Improving community health and wellbeing by reducing air pollution is possible with a small investment, offering an excellent return on investment
7. Strengthening partnerships with the Environment Agency and UK Public Health help focus objectives and support sustained outcomes

Find out more
If you would like to have a conversation about how this technology could help your vulnerable residents, please contact Andrew Parsons andrew.parsons@kingston.gov.uk or Pierre Venter pierre.venter@sutton.gov.uk.