The Government today revealed funding for a number of projects to create energy from organic waste.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced the grants under the £10M Defra anaerobic digestion demonstration programme, which will form part of a wider plan to tackle food waste and packaging this week.
The five projects – Biocycle South Shropshire, Blackmore Vale Dairies, GWE Biogas Ltd, Staples Vegetables and United Utilities and National Grid – were selected because they demonstrate cutting-edge technology and will show the benefits across a range of industries.
Anaerobic digestion breaks down organic matter to produce renewable energy sources for heat, power and transport. This prevents organic waste from being sent to landfill sites therefore cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Benn said: ‘We need to rethink the way we deal with waste – we must see it as a resource, not a problem. In the UK we produce 100 million tonnes of food and other organic waste every year that we could be using to create enough heat and energy to run over two million homes - that's five Birminghams.
‘This new technology will provide a source of renewable energy while reducing methane emissions from agriculture and landfill by diverting organic waste, especially food waste, from landfill.’
