Shrewsbury furnace opens its doors
If you've ever wondered how a bin lorry works, you're not alone as children and parents got to find out what happens to their household waste.
But getting behind the wheel of one vehicle in Veolia's fleet was just one of the things to do and see as more than 100 people were invited through the doors at the Battlefield energy recovery plant which turns Shropshire's rubbish into power.
The open day at the Shrewsbury site took weeks of planning and is being hailed as a success by the waste collecting and processing company, with more now planned in the future.
On Saturday visitors took a look inside the control room where the operators run the facility, including the monitoring equipment that ensures it keeps to the strict environmental conditions set out by the Environment Agency.
From the control room the visitors could also see the storage bunker, which can hold more than 1,000 tonnes of waste, and where waste is fed into the furnace.
They then took a look inside the furnace itself to view the fire that burns rubbish at temperatures exceeding 850 degrees centigrade.
Finally they were shown the turbine hall where heat energy from the furnace is turned into the electrical energy.
Not only does the facility divert 90,000 tonnes of waste from landfill but it also produces approximately 8MW of electricity for the National Grid.
Steve Mitchell, director for Veolia, said it had been a successful day.
He said: "We are delighted that so many local people took up our invitation to come along and see how Battlefield Energy Recovery facility operates.
"We always encourage the local community to find out more about where their waste ends up and holding open days like this is just one way we do this.
"We are pleased that the people who came along on the day found the experience an enjoyable and informative event and that so many children attended."
The facility holds tours every Wednesday. For details on how to book, contact Hilary Hampton on 0203 567 6315 or email hilary.hampton@veolia.com.
