Viridor has been providing the emission reports since March 2019 (it has been burning long before this, but considered testing). They are hidden on their website https://www.beddingtonerf.info/emissions-archive.html updated twice a month (around 10 days after the end of the month and 10 days after the mid-month cut off they pick)
Between 1 March 2019 and 30 June 2025 (75 months) there have been 78 breaches of the TP3836CT permit.
2019 March 25 CO 547mg/m³
2019 April 20 CO 105mg/m³
2019 June 12 CO 111mg/m³
2019 June 24 CO 134mg/m³* Twice
2019 June 24 CO 134mg/m³* Twice
2019 July 29 CO 114mg/m³
2019 August 13 CO 266mg/m³
2019 August 18 CO 382mg/m³
2019 August 25 CO 770mg/m³* Twice
2019 August 25 CO 770mg/m³* Twice
2019 August 26 CO 268mg/m³
2019 August 30 CO 217mg/m³
2019 August 31 CO 117mg/m³
2019 October 21 CO 144mg/m³
2019 November 3 CO 109mg/m³
2019 November 12 CO 134mg/m³
2019 November 19 CO 116mg/m³
2019 December 2 CO 107mg/m³
2019 December 20 CO 132mg/m³
2019 December 30 CO 146mg/m³
2020 February 28 SO2 224mg/m³
2020 May 24 VOC 21mg/m³
2020 June 21 VOC 26mg/m³
2020 August 9 VOC 26mg/m³
2020 August 16 VOC 28mg/m³
2020 October 4 CO Daily Average 53mg/m³
2020 October 18 VOC 21mg/m³
2020 November 14 VOC 46mg/m³ *Twice
2020 November 14 VOC 46mg/m³ *Twice
2020 November 24 SO2 249mg/m³
2021 April 24 SO2 224mg/m³
2021 May 2 SO2 290mg/m³ *Twice
2021 May 2 SO2 290mg/m³ *Twice
2022 May 3 HCI 60.2mg/m³
2022 May 16 CO Daily Average 77mg/m³
2022 May 21 VOC 29.4mg/m³
2022 May 21 CO Daily Average 51mg/m³
2022 Jun 13 VOC 22.5mg/m³
2022 June 27 VOC 35.2mg/m³
2022 September 15 VOC 22.5mg/m³
2022 December 23 HCI 76.6mg/m³
2023 March 9 VOC 20.4mg/m³
2023 March 17 SO2 209.2mg/m³
2023 October 16 Management system & operating procedures
2023 October 16 Air Emissions
2023 October 16 Reporting & notification
2023 December 15 SO2 356.9mg/m³ *Twice
2023 December 15 SO2 356.9mg/m³ *Twice
2023 December 16 SO2 Daily Average 46.0mg/m³
2023 December 22 SO2 210.0mg/m³
2023 December 31 VOC 21.9mg/m³
2024 June 17 VOC 22.2mg/m³
2024 June 17 VOC 20.8mg/m³
2024 June 24 VOC 48.9mg/m³
2024 July 15 PM 37.1mg/m³
2024 July 19 VOC 22.6mg/m³
2024 August 17 VOC 28.6mg/m³
2024 September 19 VOC 24.2mg/m³
2024 September 19 VOC 24.2mg/m³
2024 September 19 VOC 24.2mg/m³
2025 February 5 VOC 24.4mg/m³
2025 May 12 CO above permitted 24hr Average *
2025 June 4 Management system & operating procedures
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q3 2022 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q3 2022 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q4 2022 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q4 2022 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q1 2023 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q1 2023 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q2 2023 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q2 2023 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q3 2023 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q3 2023 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q4 2023 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q4 2023 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q1 2024 in Line 1
2025 June 4 Air Emissions x14 Q1 2024 in Line 2
2025 June 4 Monitoring of emissions & environment
*CO Carbon Monoxide Environmental Agency Breach on 12th-13th May. Viridor claim just 1 breach, but does not give the exceeded levels, indicating a problem with their recorded data.
The Environment Agency permit has seen 24x CO (Carbon Monoxide), 21x VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), 10x SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide), 3x EPR Compliance Assessment Report, 2x HCI (Hydrogen Chloride), 1x PM (Particulate Matter) exceedances & 1x Reporting & notification breach.
So far, the incinerator has not reported any breaches in NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen) or NH3 (Ammonia), the other two emissions monitored.
On the 13th March 2022, the Croydon Council (under new administration after a Conservative Mayor had been elected, replacing Labour) wrote to Viridor about the high number of emissions exceedances (five) at the plant during just 6 weeks of May and the first fortnight of June 2022. The subsequent SLWP South London Waste Partnership meeting that had already been postponed was not broadcast publicly, as every single meeting (not cancelled) since the beginning of data had been published.
On the 16th October 2023, there was a power outage by UK Power Network, backup power failed to operate, leaving the normal cleansing of the emissions from the incinerator non-operational, resulting in dark plumes of polluted smoke emitting from the chimneys. Viridor failed to report the incident to the Environment Agency, resulting in three separate breaches of the permit for the incident. Luckily, concerned residents who live under the emissions zone of the regular permit breaching incinerator reported the visual and olfactory conditions to the Environment Agency incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, so they became aware and visited the incinerator and witnessed the failure for themselves. Environment Agency Compliance Assessment Report
An Environment Agency Consultation proposing to increase the waste processing amount (and therefore pollution) by 10% was held between 10 November 2022 and 23 December 2022. The South London Waste Partnership representation, along with the councils of Merton and Sutton, used incorrect data compiled by the South London Waste Partnership to oppose the application. Only AFTER the consultation ended, and yet ANOTHER breach before the final comment had been submitted to the consultation, the South London Waste Partnership conceded the information they had been quoting was wrong, and that the evidence published by Merton.TV website is accurate.
On the 22nd August 2025 the Sutton Council Leader Cllr Barry Lewis, and the Lead Member for the Environment Cllr Christopher Wollmer (who is also the Chair of the SLWP South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee) wrote letters to the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency and the Managing Director of Viridor to express concern for the findings in the latest Environment Agency Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) GP3305LN/0560124 dated 4th June 2025 listing 3 failures to accuratley test to EN14181 as required by permit condition 3.6.1 a CCS (Compliance Classification Scheme) score of 4, they found 916 exceedances of NOx Daily ELV (Emissions Limit Values) over 18 months giving a CCS score of 56 (4 points per line, per quarter), they find the root cause of the exceedances was down to poor management gaining a further 31 points giving a total score for the CAR from of 91 CCS Points – they found that the incinerator non-compliance could have a significant environmental effect.