Our host, Jennifer Steytler, Community Liaison Manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, was our host for the three group visits that took place.

We were warmly welcomed by her and the hospitality tea and coffee.

The presentations were extremely well pitched and delivered to help us understand the pathway of Suffolk’s non recyclable waste into energy.

The facility which opened in December 2014 processes, by incineration, the waste left after recycling from homes and some businesses across Suffolk and adjoining counties.  

This is an alternative to waste going to landfill sites and generates enough electricity to power 50,000 homes.

We observed lorries of variable sizes arriving on site and then, from inside the control room, the offloading into a large deep catchment pit and then lifted and fed into the incinerators by very large crane grabs.

Whilst wearing the issued PPE we entered the heart of the plant and via an observation panel we were able to see the ferocity of the incineration process.

The pathway of the residual waste was followed within the facility with observations and explanation of how the residual incineration waste is sold and reused and how the generated electricity enters the National Grid.        

The whole process is extremely well managed within the site and there is a direct link with the Environment Agency, who are also able to continual monitor atmospheric discharges.  

This proved to be a very interesting visit and gave us a good insight into the myths of incineration.