In 2006, Suffolk County Council started to look for a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to landfill and replace it with a technology that would put Suffolk’s waste to good use.

Following extensive research and a detailed tendering process, the council signed contracts with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK to build and then run an energy-from-waste facility to deal with the county’s waste for the next 25 years.

The Suffolk energy-from-waste facility uses the waste left after recycling – from homes and some businesses across Suffolk – to generate electricity. This reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill and the associated cost to the council tax payer.

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (formerly SITA UK) provides the day-to-day operation and maintenance services for the facility. Work started on site in January 2012 and the facility began operating in December 2014.