Bedford council introduces food waste collection service for businesses

It also complies with new Simpler Recycling legislation and comes after a research briefing from the House of Commons found that, by weight, most food waste comes from households (60%), followed by farms (15%), manufacturing (13%), hospitality and food service (10%) and retail (2%).

Bedford mayor, Tom Wootton, said: "This service transforms food waste into valuable energy and organic fertiliser, reducing landfill and carbon emissions. I encourage all eligible businesses to embrace this opportunity and join us in making Bedford a cleaner, more sustainable place to live and work."

All collected food waste will go to an anaerobic digestion plant located in the borough operated by BioGen.

Anaerobic digestion is a process in which bacteria break down organic matter, such as food waste, without oxygen. These bacteria convert the waste to biogas, which is extracted and is currently used to produce electricity. This is then exported to the National Grid to supply households and businesses with green energy. The solid matter left behind is used as an organic fertiliser. As well as being better for the environment, recycling food waste is a much cheaper process, allowing the council to pass on cost savings to service users.

Businesses interested in the service can receive a no obligation quote from the council's Commercial Services team, outlining the benefits and details of the collection service.

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