Located in Broughton Road, Edinburgh, the Powderhall Waste Transfer Station processes some 150,000 tonnes of waste each year, collected by lorry from Edinburgh's businesses and 220,000 households.
Built by the City Engineer in 1893 as an incinerator, the present plant was constructed in 1970. It was converted to its current function in 1985, when land-fill became a more economic option than incineration. The plant compacts refuse into containers which are then conveyed by rail to a landfill site located in disused limestone workings at East Barns near Dunbar. Before 1997, the waste was conveyed to Kaimes Quarry in the south of the city.
The original stable block and offices (1893) now house a visitor centre, which was opened in 1999. Catering primarily for school parties and other groups, the centre has displays illustrating the working of the plant.