Staffordshire Sainsbury's to be powered by food waste in groundbreaking project

Sainsbury's and waste recycling company Biffa have been working on new technology to allow the Cannock store to run on electricity solely generated from the anaerobic digestion chemical reaction.

Sainsbury's is already the UK's largest retail user of anaerobic digestion, generating enough electricity to power 2,500 homes each year.

The facility, run by Biffa, turns food waste into bio methane gas, which is then used to generate electricity.

But now, a one-and-a-half kilometre cable has been installed linking the plant to the nearby superstore.

This allows Sainsbury's to receive electricity directly from the plant. Work started yesterday.

Sainsbury's says all general waste from stores is recycled or turned into fuel. Surplus food that cannot be used by its charity partners to feed vulnerable people via food banks and other initiatives is processed into animal feed for farmers or used to generate energy through anaerobic digestion. Waste bananas from its Prescot Road store in Liverpool go to Knowsley safari park to feed the monkeys.

Paul Crewe, head of sustainability at Sainsbury's, said: "We send absolutely no waste to landfill and are always looking for new ways to reuse and recycle. So we're delighted to be the first business ever to make use of this linkup technology, allowing our Cannock store to be powered entirely by our food waste."

Jeff Anderson, managing director of Biffa said: "Biffa has provided Sainsbury's with a food collection and processing service for many years. By converting food waste to renewable energy demonstrates our commitment to innovation and the environment. Biffa has a national network of dedicated food collection vehicles providing services for large and smaller customers."