On average, every household produces one tonne of waste a year. SELCHP can take up to 420,000 tonnes of household waste per annum, directly from residents of Lewisham, Greenwich, Westminster and Bromley. SELCHP manages the waste in a sustainable way, achieving a number of key environmental objectives.

	Energy is recovered from the waste, supplying enough power for 48,000 homes.
	One tonne of municipal solid waste is equivalent to 1⁄3 tonne of coal, so the facility has a significant role to play in reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
	Waste is diverted from landfill, helping the residents of the London boroughs to meet government and European Directive targets.

The SELCHP Energy Recovery Facility was built to serve the community where it is located; taking into consideration the public’s needs, not only in terms of waste disposal, but also through strict control of noise, traffic and odour.

Throughout the working life of the facility, SELCHP has maintained a close relationship with the community through the Incinerator Monitoring Group, made up of local residents who meet with SELCHP’s management on a regular basis to ensure local issues remain high on the agenda and are dealt with promptly. An in-house magazine is published twice a year and distributed to around 6,000 homes and schools locally, keeping residents up to date with developments at the facility.