IN partnership with UK food waste recycler ReFood, a number of Sainsbury’s supermarkets across the country are now powered by green gas. Produced entirely from waste food, the energy generated over the past year alone is enough to power 5,000 homes*, or 10% of Sainsbury’s entire national gas consumption for the year, with ReFood having supplied the retailer with almost 50 million KWh of biomethane gas to date.
As part of the agreement, food waste is collected from Sainsbury’s’ two depots in Sherburn-in-Elmet and Haydock, before being converted into gas, heat and fertiliser at ReFood’s AD processing facilities.
The gas is then exported to the national gas grid by ReFood and, through a third party, is imported by Sainsbury’s stores nationwide – being used to generate electricity for power and heating. The agreement is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, seeing ReFood supplying both green gas and supporting certification.
As a result of the partnership, ten stores have already significantly increased their use of renewable energy, while lowering utility bills. The partnership also helps to deliver Sainsbury’s commitment to send zero operational waste to landfill, by finding a use for inedible waste products. All surplus edible food is donated to local charity partners.
Commenting on the project, Paul Densham, utilities buyer at Sainsbury’s, said: “Increasing the sustainability of our UK stores is a key corporate priority and we’re making great progress in our drive to reduce food waste across the business. Working in partnership with ReFood allows us to effectively recycle our food waste, creating renewable energy in result.”
