The two year contract will see Taylor Woodrow construct a Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) with capacity to manage 135,000 tonnes of recyclable material every year.

A public Reuse and Recycling Centre will also allow north London residents and businesses to bring their recycling direct to the EcoPark.

The project is part of North London Waste Authority’s (NLWA) plan for a new sustainable waste hub – the North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP).

Enabling works started on the NLHPP two years ago and the new recycling facilities mark the start of the first phase of major construction on the project.

Steve Pate, Project Director of EcoPark South for Taylor Woodrow said: “We are excited to have achieved this first major milestone and begin construction on this flagship facility.

“Driven by a passion for innovation, we look for projects that challenge our thinking and enable us to add value.

“At EcoPark South there is a lot of potential for solutions that will significantly add to the energy efficiency of the project, and we look forward to working with NLWA to develop and implement these.”

Taylor Woodrow’s team mobilised at the site earlier this month ready to carry out demolition and groundworks, ahead of piling works starting in March.

Taylor Woodrow will be using an innovative piling technique to construct the foundations of the future recycling facility buildings which will reduce the embodied carbon in the original scheme design by 10%.

From 2022 construction will start on a new Energy Recovery Facility which will divert up to 700,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year and unlock one of the largest low-carbon district heat networks in London.

Three European construction companies have been shortlisted for the £683m deal.