A Sainsbury's superstore in the UK is being powered directly by its own food waste, the first time a retailer has come off the National Grid to power a store...
One of our most popular posts recently was about the world's first waste-free supermarket set to open in Berlin, Germany.
Well, another supermarket, UK retailer Sainsbury's, is also getting media attention as the first superstore to be powered directly by its own food waste.
The store at Cannock, Staffordshire, already sends all its food waste to the UK's largest anaerobic digestion plant.
The facility, run by Biffa, turns food waste into bio methane gas, which is then used to generate electricity. Now, a 1.5km cable has been installed linking the plant to the nearby superstore, allowing Sainsbury's to receive electricity directly from the plant.
"Sainsbury's sends absolutely no waste to landfill and we're always looking for new ways to re-use and recycle," said Paul Crewe, head of sustainability at Sainsbury's.
"We're delighted to be the first business ever to make use of this link-up technology, allowing our Cannock store to be powered entirely by our food waste," he said.
Reducing food waste is one of the simplest ways individuals and companies can reduce their carbon footprint. Food waste is a massive problem, with the UN estimating that one third of all food produced is wasted.
Reducing your households food waste by managing it better every day could save an estimated 8kg per month of CO2 and 100kg per year.
Sainsbury's have said what they're doing is not only good for the environment, it makes financial sense too given the cost of sending waste to landfill.
They have closed the loop on food recycling in a way that's never been done before and it's definitely eye-catching. Perhaps other retailers will follow given there are economic benefits of such a system.