Sainsbury ’s supermarket in Cannock, Staffordshire is to be powered entirely by food waste.

The retailer said it was using Biffa’s advanced anaerobic digestion facilities and a unique power link up to effectively take the store off the National Grid for day-to-day electricity consumption.

Any food waste not sent to charity or animal feed will be sent to Biffa’s anaerobic digestion plant in Cannock. The food waste will be turned into bio-methane gas, which is then used to generate electricity. That electricity will directly supply the store via a new 1.5km cable.

“Sainsbury’s sends absolutely no waste to landfill and we’re always looking for new ways to reuse and recycle,” said Sainsbury’s head of sustainability Paul Crewe.

“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’s I&C division, added: “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.”

Cannock infographic

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