A pioneering project by Sustain Wiltshire aims to turn landfill sites into low‑carbon, affordable fresh produce production hubs, using inflatable growing domes powered and enriched by methane captured from buried waste to produce multiple crops a year.
At a long‑established waste site near Royal Wootton Bassett, Sustain Wiltshire is trialling a 40m‑by‑20m prototype “growing dome” that is designed to be bio-secure, positioned above securely sealed landfill cells.
Landfill gas tapped from the Crapper and Sons’ landfill site will be turned into heat, power and CO₂ to create “perfect year-round growing conditions” that promote photosynthesis, while turning the greenhouse gas into oxygen.
Within the domes, growers will use controlled heat, light, humidity and CO₂ levels to produce multiple crops from staples like lettuce, carrots and onions to higher‑value produce such as avocados, all year round.
The groundbreaking technology will use ultraviolet lighting and precise climate controls to allow ripening to be accelerated or slowed to match demand, reducing gluts and shortages, as well as presenting the potential to reduce demand for counter-seasonal produce imports from outside the UK.
Once the approach is perfected, Sustain Wiltshire said in a press release that it hopes to gain permission to erect 100 growing domes at the site over the next 10-15 years, creating a cluster of climate‑controlled units growing just-in-time, demand-based, year-round fresh produce.
Crop Trials Start This Spring
Over the coming year, trials within the positively pressured growing dome will use a mix of hydroponics, raised growing beds, and plant containers to produce a broad selection of produce.
White the initial objective is to supply the local community with affordable fruits and vegetables, the model has the potential to roll out globally and “change the face of food production”, according to Nick Ash, Project Director for Sustain Wiltshire and Crapper and Sons Landfill.
“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,” explained Ash.
Sustain Wiltshire describes its vision as a modern “Super‑Midden”, inspired by ancient middens where decomposing waste provided heat, fuel and soil nutrients to local communities to support agriculture.
“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,” stated Ash.
Once fully established, the initiative aims to supply up to 80% of the fruit and vegetable needs of nearby towns and villages, including Royal Wootton Bassett, Purton, and Brinkworth.
Produce will be sold through a digital platform and delivered to people’s doors, alongside milk, meat, and other items from local farmers, thereby cutting food miles and storage time.
The Wiltshire development forms part of the wider Sustain vision of creating self-sustaining communities.
