Doncaster food waste to be collected by recycling firm in new deal

ReFood, the UK’s leading food waste recycler, has partnered with the City of Doncaster Council to collect commercial food waste from local businesses.

The agreement will see thousands of tonnes of unwanted food recycled per annum at ReFood’s state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion (AD) facility on Ings Road.

Following the government’s introduction of Simpler Recycling legislation, which bans UK firms from landfilling their commercial food waste, the move will help Doncaster businesses to improve their sustainability credentials, reduce their environmental impact and meet legislative requirements.

Responsible for recycling 160,000 tonnes of organic waste every year, the ReFood Doncaster plant harnesses the AD process to extract biogas from unwanted food. The gas is used to fuel combined heat and power engines, with the resulting electricity generated (enough to power 10,000 homes) exported directly to the National Grid. Nothing is wasted during the process, with the remaining liquid digestate transformed into a PAS110-accredited biofertiliser – ReGrow – and used by local farmers as a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical-based solutions. The whole process, which happens at an industrial scale, is the perfect example of a circular economy.

With the aim of further reducing environmental impact, ReFood has invested in a state-of-the-art Volvo FL Electric truck, which will be used exclusively for collecting commercial waste from the Doncaster area. The latest plug-in addition to ReFood’s national collection fleet, the truck sets the standards in environmentally friendly haulage and guarantees zero tailpipe emissions.

Commenting on the announcement, Maria L’Ala, regional sales manager at ReFood, said: “We’re delighted to be working with City of Doncaster Council to recycle commercial food waste from businesses across the city.

"Thanks to the location of our Ings Road facility, we’re not only perfectly placed to provide an integrated collection and recycling service for businesses across the region but can also guarantee minimal road miles and local jobs for local workers at the same time.

“Having opened our first food waste recycling facility in the UK back in 2011, we’re confident in our proven process and understand the importance of offering added value. "Our bin swap service, for example, sees full bins collected and switched for clean, sanitised replacements, which means they can be used hygienically within kitchen areas – simple, convenient and important to encourage the separation of food waste at source.

“We’re urging businesses from across Doncaster to get in touch with ourselves or the Council to organise regular collections. "After all, following the introduction of Simpler Recycling legislation earlier this year, which bans the commercial landfilling of food waste, working with an experienced partner is key to meeting requirements and maximising your sustainability credentials.”

To find out more about ReFood, or the Simpler Recycling requirements on food waste, visit www.refood.co.uk