Solution: Food waste recycling. Owner: Keenan Recycling. Strategy: Recycling and reuse.
Description
Keenan Recycling is Scotland's largest food waste collection company. The business collects waste on behalf of waste management companies and councils. They also service restaurants, hospitals, prisons, and cafés and other businesses.
The food waste is loaded into anaerobic digester tanks and broken down by anaerobic bacteria over time. The methane produced by this process is used for electricity, gas and heating. The remaining by-product — digestate — is used as a fertilizer.
Location
UK-wide
Scale
UK-wide
Potential circular economy impact
This solution reduces the amount of food waste sent to landfill and/or incinerators. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
The biogas created from the food waste can be used for electricity, gas and heating, helping to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
The by-product left behind from the biofuel production can also be used as fertiliser. This benefits soil and food production and reduces our reliance on artificial fertiliser.
This solution also encourages sorting at the source by residents and businesses.
What’s involved?
People: Collection company operatives; anaerobic digestion operatives; agro-food company; company/ies that can utilise biogas
Resources: Land; trucks; bins; anaerobic digester tank and system
Technology: Anaerobic digester tank
Implementation: Food waste collection evaluation; resource need evaluation; investment in services; operating services