The Lakeside waste management centre in Colnbrook celebrates its 10th birthday this week.

During its first decade the Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW) facility has transformed 4.5 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste, generating three million megawatts of non-fossil fuel-derived sustainable energy. The operation – a joint venture between Grundon Waste Management and Viridor – provides enough energy every year to power all the homes in Slough and has attracted visitors from all over the world.

Operation Director Danny Coulston said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our first decade, knowing that we run one of the best facilities in Europe. However, we don’t rest on our laurels. To date, we have invested more than £7.5 million in a continuous improvement programme to ensure we always remain at the top of our game

“Not only are our environmental credentials impeccable, we also employ 50 local people on a permanent basis and have contributed £15 million in business rates direct to Slough Borough Council.”

Lakeside EfW manages non-recyclable waste from 10 local authorities including Slough Borough Council, the West London Waste Authority and RE3 (a waste management partnership between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils), as well as many commercial businesses.

In March 2017 the Lakeside Board announced the company had successfully diverted 100 per cent waste from landfill over an 18-month period – the first time this had been achieved in the UK.

Nothing is wasted. Local company Day Aggregates collects all the bottom ash – about 80,000 tonnes a year from the site. The metals are recycled and the ash is turned into a recycled aggregate for road building and highways maintenance.

In a pioneering arrangement with carbon capture experts O.C.O, all air pollution control residues left behind after the vigorous cleaning up of the exhaust gases that eventually emerge from the stack – are turned into 12,500 tonnes a year of carbon negative buildings materials.