A team at the centre of Sellafield's clean-up mission has reached a significant milestone.

The site's Retrievals East River (RER) has received, treated, and sent for storage its 50,000th waste package.

The RER plays an important role in the decommissioning of Sellafield and helps keep the lights on across the UK.

It takes intermediate level waste from Sellafield's legacy plants and deals with remnants of spent fuel from the UK's Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs).

The AGR programme provided the RER's 50,000th package - a graphite-filled waste drum.

Lee Metcalf, head of RER operations, said: "I'm proud to be part of a team that, for more than three decades, has safely received and processed ILW into a disposal form.

"Reaching this milestone is down to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.

"In processing these 50,000 packages, we've used an impressive 12,000 m³ or 24,000 tons of grout.

"That's enough to fill five Olympic swimming pools or pack 120 double-decker buses."

Alyson Armett, head of retrievals value stream, said: "Even though reprocessing operations have ended, RER continues to play a vital role in UK energy generation by accepting waste from fuel dismantling, helping to keep the lights on across the country.

"As we address legacy waste and prepare for increased waste removal from our legacy ponds and silos, RER remains at the forefront of ILW management.

"Through ongoing innovation, adaptation and repurposing its facilities, RER is committed to supporting a cleaner, safer environment for future generations.

"A huge congratulations to the teams and everyone involved achieving this major milestone."

RER processes waste from a variety of sources using technology to ensure it is safely stored until its final disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).