_________________________________________________________________________________________ Anaerobic digestion
With approximately 1.5 million tons ( 16 percent ) coming from food manufacturers , 1.1 million tons ( 12 percent ) from hospitality and food services and 0.3 million tons ( three percent ) from the food retail industry , the food and drinks sector is well placed to take a leading position in food waste recycling . And the Anaerobic Digestion ( AD ) industry is ready to support the sector to dispose of food waste in a sustainable way .
Anaerobic digestion and its benefits
AD is the sustainable process of recycling large amounts of food waste and animal waste into green energy and biofertilizer , a nutrient-rich organic material used to fertilize farmland .
Food waste enters a building where it is processed into a liquid porridge , and then pumped into the anaerobic digestion plant . It is here that bacteria feed on the food waste , breaking it down to produce biogas . Biogas is captured and used as a fuel in CHP engines to create electricity or cleaned and sent directly to the gas grid .
The waste is pasteurized to ensure that any pathogens are destroyed and the biofertilizer ( digestate ) is stored in large lagoons ready to be applied on farmland when the crops require it .
AD is a low-cost process with opportunities to make savings on landfill taxes or energy from waste gate fees . There are around 260,000 HaFS outlets in the UK , with an annual cost of food waste equating to around £ 10,000 per outlet each year . A five percent reduction in food waste could equate to a sector-level saving of £ 250 million over two years .
AD is considered top of the hierarchy for food waste above other processes such as composting and it ’ s a positive step towards being more environmentally responsible . The biogas created from AD is rich in methane and can be converted into renewable energy ( heat and electricity ) or injected directly into the gas grid to power your gas cooker . Additionally , the process creates an organic high nutrient biofertilizer that farmers can use at a time when fertilizer costs are higher than usual .
Allies in the fight against food waste
The total amount of waste , including food , packaging and other ‘ non-food ’ waste , produced each year at HaFS outlets is 2.871 million tons , of which only 46 percent is recycled , sent to AD or composted .
Last year , BioteCH4 recycled 557,000 tons of food waste across its sites generating 280,000 MWh of energy . AD is a natural ally to the food and drinks industry .
So , despite the PM ’ s recent announcement and the questions and turmoil it ’ s created , we are ready and able to take more food waste when needed . This complex biological process is an opportunity for the food industry to be more environmentally responsible and be a leading force in the food waste agenda . ■
For a list of sources used in this article , please contact the editor .
Lee Dobinson www . biotech4 . co . uk
Lee Dobinson is Chief Commercial Officer at BioteCH4 , the leading Anaerobic Digestion operator in the UK , transforming food waste for good . BioteCH4 has six sites across the country including a highly versatile waste transfer station , with the capacity to handle all volumes of food waste from a variety of sectors . BioteCH4 works closely with regulatory bodies such as DEFRA , the EA , and APHA and with businesses to support them in creating , following , and implementing their own food waste reduction roadmap .
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