British farm aims to grow avocados on landfill

The developers of a new indoor farming model say they plan to grow a range of fruit and vegetables – potentially including avocados – on a landfill site in the UK countryside.

Sustain Wiltshire has claimed a world exclusive with what it describes as a “low-carbon, affordable production hub”, which takes methane gas from the site and turns it into heat, power and purified carbon dioxide.

Combined with ultraviolet horticulture lighting, these inputs can then be used create “perfect year-round growing conditions” within a giant, positively pressured, inflated growing dome.

“Enabling multi-cropping and the harvesting of everything from carrots to avocados, even in the depths of winter, the groundbreaking technology has the potential to put an end to the need for ‘out of season’ produce that’s currently shipped or flown into the UK,” said a spokesperson for the company.

The dome – which is located on a landfill site operated by Crapper and Sons in Royal Wooton Bassett, Wiltshire – can apparently generate ten tonnes of fruit and vegetables per year.

Eventually, Sustain Wiltshire hopes to build a hundred such domes on the same site, and by doing so provide local community with affordable produce.

Commenting on the unveiling of the world’s first growing dome powered by landfill methane, project director Nick Ash said: “On this one site alone, we have the potential to produce over 8,000 tonnes of affordable fruit and vegetables annually, creating 130 new jobs, while preventing the release of 3,800 tonnes of CO2 each year.”

He added: “Rolled out globally, this technology has the potential to change the face of food production as we know it. Combined with plans to capture polymers from landfill plastic that cannot yet be recycled, we believe our Super-Midden solution has the potential to transform the future of landfill internationally, turning it into one of the most climate friendly methods of waste treatment.”