Top 3 Odour Control Challenges for Waste Management Sites (and How to Solve Them)

Odour is a constant challenge for waste management facilities. For local councils and privately owned waste management sites, keeping odour under control is essential to maintain smooth operations and positive relationships with the surrounding community. Here are three of the biggest odour control challenges waste facilities face, and how they can be solved.

1. Fluctuating waste volumes

Waste intake often varies depending on the day, week, or season. These fluctuations can lead to sudden odour spikes, especially when facilities process large volumes in short periods. Wet waste in particular is more likely to become anaerobic, producing much stronger and more offensive odours.

The solution:

VapourGard systems can be scaled to suit changing volumes and layouts, with vapour formulations designed to treat both aerobic and anaerobic odours. At Lucas Heights Resource Recovery Park, a large-scale facility and the only general waste landfill in Sydney, vapour systems were implemented to manage odour effectively across close to a million tonnes of waste each year.

2. Weather impacts

Heat, wind, and rain can all make odour problems worse. Hot weather intensifies smells, while rain can cause waste to break down faster while wind conditions can carry odours further into surrounding communities.

The solution:

Vapour neutralisation provides consistent coverage regardless of weather. Because VapourGard uses vapour in the same form as odour molecules, the treatment solution is carried along with the odour in windy conditions, continuing to neutralise it off-site. By comparison, misting systems do not remain airborne and cannot follow the same pathways, which often results in odour breakthrough. At Blaxland Waste Management Facility, VapourGard systems were installed to mitigate odour across a range of weather scenarios, protecting both staff and nearby residents.

3. Community concerns

Waste facilities are often located near growing residential areas. As populations expand, the risk of odour complaints increases. Community concerns can strain relationships, harm reputations, and put pressure on operators to act quickly.

The solution:

VapourGard systems have a proven track record in reducing odour complaints and minimising risks as populations grow around landfills and processing sites. Both Blaxland and Lucas Heights facilities, along with many others across Australia, have shown how targeted solutions help operators maintain community confidence.

For operators, odour control at waste management facilities is about more than compliance. It is about protecting community trust and ensuring facilities run efficiently. With solutions like VapourGard, waste management facilities can tackle fluctuating volumes, weather challenges, and community concerns with confidence.

Get in touch with CleanaWater on 1800 353 788 to discuss how VapourGard can help your site manage odour effectively.