Recycling firm draws up plans to transform landfill sites

Wiltshire-based Crapper and Sons Landfill Limited are proposing a new initiative for its Royal Wootton Bassett site, aiming to repurpose landfill sites into energy and food production centres.

The ‘Sustain Initiative’ plans to use methane from the landfill to power inflatable greenhouses, producing affordable fruits and vegetables for the local community year-round and potentially creating up to 130 new jobs.

The concept, called the ‘Super-Midden,’ draws inspiration from ancient waste disposal methods.

Methane will be used to maintain ideal greenhouse temperatures, and the CO2 produced will enhance the growing environment.

The circular solution aims to minimise storage and food miles, delivering produce directly to doorsteps alongside local dairy and meat products.

The goal is for the greenhouses to supply 80% of fruit and vegetable needs for Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury, Purton, and Brinkworth, consuming up to 4,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Food waste will be collected for anaerobic digestion to generate low-cost energy and fertilizer for the greenhouses, creating a sustainable circular solution.

Spare electricity will support green industrial development and recycling, contributing to local employment.

Richard Crapper, managing director of Crapper and Sons Landfill Ltd, said: “Over the years we have worked hard to support our local community. The Sustain Super-Midden plans for the site at Brinkworth Road are the next stage of that legacy. Our goal is to transform the way landfill sites are utilised so that they become one of the most climate-friendly methods of waste disposal. This is made possible by repurposing and reusing landfill cells once they become full, adopting cutting-edge technology to create affordable, just-in-time food, through a process that consumes more carbon than it produces.

“All this is possible within the footprint of our existing site, but the really exciting part is that this solution has the potential to be replicated across the country, addressing the unsustainable practice of importing out-of-season produce from all over the world. Adopted nationwide, our Super-Midden solution could alleviate food shortages, provide cheap power to local communities and help to address the cost-of-living crisis, all by generating affordable, freshly harvested, non-warehoused produce at a lower cost than the major supermarkets. It’s all part of our wider Sustain vision that aims to create sustainable working environments and communities of the future.”