Organics recycler Earnside Energy, and waste management firm Binn Group, have entered into a partnership to offer Scottish businesses a collection and treatment solution for food waste.
The companies have named the initiative as ‘Food Waste Scotland’ and it will see both companies operating side-by-side at the Binn EcoPark near Perth.
The companies plan to collect and recycle up to 30,000 tonnes of food waste each year, generating around 18m kilowatt hours of electricity for the national grid.
Fleet
In preparation for the partnership, Binn Group reports to have invested in a fleet of state-of-the-art food waste collection vehicles with onboard weighing capability in 2017. At the same time, Earnside Energy increased capacity at its anaerobic digestion (AD) facility utilising the latest technology (see letsrecycle.com story).
The companies explained that the Food Waste Scotland initiative is designed to reach out across Scotland offering any business producing waste food “a cost-effective and compliant solution”. And, they noted, since 2016 it has been a legal requirement in Scotland for all businesses generating more than 5kg of waste food to segregate this from other waste streams and to ensure it is collected separately.
Commenting on the partnership, Binn Group chief executive Allan MacGregor said that the amount of food waste generated in Scotland was “staggering”.
“The Scottish Government has set an ambitious target to reduce the amount of food waste by 33 per cent by 2025,” he explained. “Segregating food waste makes people conscious of the amount they produce and encourages them to try and reduce that amount.”
“Food Waste Scotland is leading the call to encourage everyone in Scotland to play their part,” Mr MacGregor said.
Opportunities
The new partnership suggests that even if the Government achieved its target figures, there would still be an estimated one million tonnes of food waste in Scotland requiring proper collection and treatment.
And, Mr MacGregor emphasised the need to segregate food waste in order to avoid contaminating other waste streams, rendering them non-recyclable. “While the focus is on reducing the volume generated by homes and businesses, there are opportunities to work with existing and future clients to identify food waste issues and offer a more environmentally sustainable and cost effective solution.”
He continued: “Food Waste Scotland is a partnership between Binn Group which has established collection routes and customers throughout the country and Earnside Energy which has the technology, expertise and experience to process food waste efficiently and effectively.”
Earnside Energy’s digestion tanks at its AD facility in Glenfarg
Mick Fishwick, director at Earnside Energy, said the Food Waste Scotland partnership would “undoubtedly” make an impact on the industry. “We operate one of the best AD plants in the UK and have invested significantly to increase capacity to be able to offer a much-needed service in Scotland,” he said.
“Excited”
“Having worked successfully for many years with Binn Group, we are excited to launch this new venture together,” he added.
Earnside Energy reports that its AD facility in Glenfarg operates at in excess of 90% efficiency – above the national AD standard of 71%. The AD system uses natural biological processes to break down food waste to generate methane. The methane is used as a fuel to generate heat and electricity. The heat is then used as part of the AD process while the power is exported for use in homes and businesses across Scotland.
National Food Waste Conference | 28 February 2018 | Cavendish Conference Centre, London
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
