How the process works
Once we’ve emptied your caddy, your food waste is taken to a specialist anaerobic digestion facility just over the county border in Merevale in Warwickshire or Cannock.
At the processing plant:
- The food waste liners are removed, washed, and sent to an energy-from-waste plant
- The food waste is shredded and mixed with liquid to make a smooth, porridge-like mixture
- This mixture is pumped into large, sealed tanks called digesters
- Inside the tanks, natural bacteria break down the food waste over several weeks
- This produces biogas, a renewable energy made mainly of methane and carbon dioxide
- The biogas is used to generate electricity and heat for the site and nearby businesses
- What remains is a nutrient-rich liquid called digestate, which farmers use as fertiliser to improve soil and grow crops
By recycling food waste separately:
- Energy is produced more efficiently.
- Valuable nutrients are recovered.
- Waste is treated using a process designed specifically for food.
- Carbon impact is lower than incineration.
- Food waste recycling supports a circular approach, where waste is reused in the most effective and sustainable way possible.