The Allington incinerator - or the Allington Integrated Waste Management Facility to give it its proper title - has reached a milestone.

Since it became operational in 2008, the site has now accepted 500,000 deliveries of waste - that's equivalent to 6m tonnes.

The waste is incinerated, saving around 93% of the volume from going to landfill, and creating electricity which is fed into the National Grid.

It currently creates around 554,000 MWh of energy, enough to power around 29,000 homes across the county.

The plant on a former quarry site is owned by FCC Environment and to mark the 1/2m landmark, the company has pledged to plant 500,000 wildflower seeds across the site.

To get the ball rolling, the business hosted a special sowing event with workers planting up a grassy knoll adjacent to the staff rest area, under the watchful eye of the company's landscaping contractors, Giles Landscapes.

The plant's general manager Tony Stanbridge said: "We are proud to have reached this milestone. Six million tonnes of waste diverted from landfill and converted to energy is a real achievement."

He said: "We are focused on continuing to exceed performance expectations as we carry on creating valuable electricity, jobs and community support for the county.”

The plant employs more than 100 staff and has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic.

In addition to the incinerator, the site is now home to a Waste Transfer Station for recyclable waste, which is sorted on site and then bulked for onward transportation to designated recycling plants.

The plant, which cost £150m, is capable of processing 550,000 tonnes a year of mixed waste a year for energy recovery, and a further 65,000 tonnes of separated materials suitable for recycling.

The company has plans for an expansion of its facilities at Allington.

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