Offensive washroom waste has long been one of the waste industry’s most difficult streams to manage. Here, Lee Knott, CEO of Advetec, explores how biotechnology is enabling operators to move beyond landfill and unlock circular value, and why Go4Greener’s UK-first project marks a turning point for the sector.
Offensive washroom waste is one of the waste industry’s most persistent challenges. Highly contaminated, difficult to segregate, and costly to manage, materials such as nappies and sanitary products have traditionally been excluded from mainstream recycling and recovery routes.
For decades, landfill or Energy-from-Waste (EfW) treatment has been the default option – not because they offer the best environmental outcome, but because viable alternatives have been limited.
Today, that linear model faces increasing pressure. Rising disposal costs, tightening regulations, and infrastructure limitations are forcing waste operators to reconsider how they tackle difficult waste streams.
At the same time, customers across sectors, including hospitality, education, and care, are demanding greater transparency and real progress towards sustainability goals. Against this backdrop, a recent UK first shows how innovation can unlock circular value from even the most problematic waste streams.
In Derby, Go4Greener has become the first waste management company in the UK to use biotechnology to convert offensive washroom waste into high-quality alternative fuel. By installing Advetec’s XO22 system, the company is challenging long-held beliefs about what is possible with offensive waste and demonstrating how biology can play a practical role in the transition to a circular economy.
“Switching on the XO22 is a huge milestone – not just for Go4Greener, but for the entire waste industry,” says Samantha Turton, Managing Director of Go4Greener.
“We’re proud to be leading the way in turning one of the hardest waste streams into fuel and reducing waste to landfill in the process. This is groundbreaking technology that brings real environmental benefits for our customers and the industry.”
The XO22 has been developed specifically to treat non-recyclable and hard-to-handle waste streams that fall outside conventional recycling systems. Rather than relying on chemical additives or thermal processes, the technology harnesses naturally occurring biological processes, accelerated through clever engineering and targeted biostimulants.
Using rapid aerobic digestion, bacteria break down organic contaminants, leaving behind floc that can be further processed or converted into alternative fuel.
This biological approach offers several advantages. It avoids the use of harsh chemicals, significantly reduces the environmental impact of treatment, and operates on a commercial scale.
For Go4Greener, which handles around 4,000 tonnes of offensive washroom waste each year, the impact is huge. Once fully operational, the XO22 will convert this material into nearly 2,000 tonnes of high-quality alternative fuel, helping to displace fossil fuels in energy-intensive industries while dramatically reducing reliance on landfills.
Speed is another critical factor. Traditional aerobic composting can take up to 16 weeks to complete. In contrast, the XO22 completes the biological treatment process in just 48 to 72 hours.
The rapid turnaround reduces waste mass and volume, cuts haulage requirements and lowers associated carbon emissions – delivering clear operational efficiencies alongside environmental gains.
From Advetec’s perspective, projects like this highlight a broader shift taking place across the sector. Faced with rising costs, labour shortages, taxes and a lack of infrastructure, the sector is crying out for practical, scalable solutions for washroom waste.
Go4Greener’s adoption of the XO22 proves that biotechnology is not just the future – it’s here now. This represents a turning point for UK waste management, helping operators safeguard their costs while delivering better outcomes for customers.
Go4Greener’s £1.25 million investment in the XO22 forms part of a wider commitment to innovation and sustainability. Built on principles of resource recovery and environmental responsibility, the business is using advanced biotechnology to expand those principles to waste streams that have historically been considered unrecoverable.
For customers, the benefits are clear. Reduced reliance on landfill helps stabilise long-term costs, while converting waste into fuel supports wider decarbonisation goals across the supply chain. It also provides confidence that even difficult waste streams are being managed in line with evolving environmental expectations.
As pressure mounts on the waste sector to deliver both economic resilience and environmental performance, offensive washroom waste no longer needs to sit outside the circular economy. With the right technology, investment and mindset, even the toughest waste streams can be transformed into part of the solution – turning a long-standing problem into circular value.
