How are British avocados being grown on a rubbish dump?

Avocados are being grown year-round on a rubbish dump in Wiltshire using a large dome that captures methane gas from waste. This gas powers heating and lights, while the resulting carbon dioxide boosts plant growth.

What is the 'Super-Midden' solution developed by Sustain Wiltshire?

The Super-Midden solution involves using landfill gas to generate electricity for a dome where food is grown, and capturing carbon dioxide to enhance plant growth, while also aiming to capture polymers from plastic waste.

Why are there potential price increases for fruits and vegetables?

Price increases for fruits and vegetables may occur due to limited supply, exacerbated by recent torrential rain in Spain and Morocco, and extreme downpours and flooding affecting UK growers.

Home / Environment / UK Landfills Grow Avocados Year-Round

UK Landfills Grow Avocados Year-Round

3 Mar

Summary

British landfills are now growing avocados year-round using waste gas.
A 20m x 40m dome in Wiltshire traps landfill gas for heat and light.
This initiative aims to provide affordable local produce and create jobs.

Innovative eco-farmers in Wiltshire have unveiled plans to cultivate British avocados year-round, utilizing a landfill site. A significant dome, measuring 20m by 40m and 9m tall, has been erected at a waste facility near Royal Wootton Bassett.

This structure captures methane gas, a by-product of decomposing waste, which is already used to generate electricity. The electricity will now be channeled into the dome to power essential systems, including heating, ultraviolet lights, and fans required for growing avocados and other exotic fruits.

Furthermore, carbon dioxide released from the landfill will be used to enhance plant growth through photosynthesis. CIC Sustain Wiltshire, the company behind this technology, believes it will enable food production throughout the year, even allowing avocados to thrive during the British winters.

The dome has the capacity to produce 10 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, destined for local families. Sustain Wiltshire also anticipates that their locally grown food will be priced lower than supermarket alternatives, with a plan to sell produce via an app and reuse food waste.

Nick Ash, Project Director for Sustain Wiltshire, stated that if this technology is globally implemented, it holds the potential to revolutionize food production. He highlighted the site's capacity to yield over 8,000 tonnes of affordable fruits and vegetables annually, create 130 jobs, and prevent 3,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

This development follows recent supermarket shortages of fruits and vegetables across the UK, attributed to torrential rain in Spain and Morocco, which supply a significant portion of the country's fresh produce. Extreme downpours in Britain have also impacted UK growers, leading to saturated ground and flooding.

Consumers may experience price increases due to limited supply, prompting a call from the UK Fresh Produce Consortium for shoppers to be aware and avoid panic buying.

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