A waste recovery park for North Yorkshire and York is now fully operational and set to generate enough energy to power 40,000 homes a year from rubbish that would previously have gone into landfill.
The start of full service at Allerton Waste Recovery Park (AWRP) near Knaresborough began this month following a rigorous testing period.
The facility has the capacity to treat up to 320,000 tonnes of waste each year and will divert more than 90 per cent of waste from landfill, as well as further increasing recycling.
It is the result of a partnership between North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council to process waste over the next 25 years. Most of the waste treated will come from households in North Yorkshire and York.
AWRP processes waste through a mechanical treatment plant, which separates recyclable and organic materials. Organic material is fed into an anaerobic digester, which will treat up to 40,000 tonnes a year to generate renewable energy. The remaining waste is used to generate electricity, enough to power at least 40,000 homes. Even by-products will be treated and recycled into aggregate for roads and reprocessed metal.
Treating waste to produce energy rather than sending it to landfill helps with global warming. It will reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 12,000 cars off the road overnight.
AWRP will be operated by infrastructure firm Amey following a successful three-year construction programme.