BioteCH4 wins food waste recycling tender with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
BioteCH4 is delighted to have been awarded the contract for the treatment of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s food waste.
BioteCH4, the UK’s leading Anaerobic Digestion (AD) operator, will initially receive food waste collected from kerbside collections in the Newcastle-under-Lyme borough.
AD is the sustainable process of turning food waste into renewable energy which then goes back into the national grid. The process also produces biofertiliser, a nutrient-rich organic material used to fertilise farmland.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is the first waste collection authority in Staffordshire to take up the service. BioteCH4 is one of four providers on a framework with Staffordshire County Council, so could deliver the service to other district and borough councils.
Depending on the roll-out of those authorities not currently collecting food waste, the new county-wide framework could see up to 40,000 tonnes of food waste being recycled a year, potentially resulting in enough energy to power 7,000 homes.
Pamela Woolcock, Group Public Sector Lead at BioteCH4, said: “We are really pleased to be working with Newcastle-under-Lyme to recycle its food waste.
“Mandatory food waste collection services will need to be implemented by all councils and this could be a daunting challenge for some local authorities. But securing the treatment site early will help councils understand what recycling capacity is available and enable them to plan vehicle procurement, service routes and other logistics accordingly.
“Staffordshire County Council moved quickly to secure a treatment facility for its food waste and are now in a good position to meet DEFRA’s deadline for all their other district and borough councils. We strongly encourage councils to follow Staffordshire’s lead and start implementing their treatment plans as soon as possible.”
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Environment David Hutchison said: “Providing residents with an efficient food waste collection service is one of our top priorities. Not only does it encourage our residents to consider their recycling habits, but recycling food waste can play an important role in reducing our carbon emissions. We are pleased to be working with BioteCH4 and will be working hard to expand our food waste collection services across the county in the future.”
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