The black bags of non-recyclable waste we collect from your home are taken to the Viridor Energy Recovery Facility in Cardiff, where it’s processed to create electricity for the National Grid, which is then used to power homes.

Whilst recycling as much of our waste as possible so that it can be used to create new products is always better for the environment, recovering even a small amount of energy from our leftover non-recyclable waste diverts it from landfill.

The non-recyclable waste is taken to the facility, where it is weighed and tipped into a bunker. Large grab cranes mix and feed the waste into a furnace, where it is burned at high temperatures under controlled conditions. The heat generated turns water into steam, which drives a turbine to produce electricity.

To find out more about this process, visit the Viridor website for a virtual tour!