Severn Trent Green Power is gearing up for a sustainable holiday season as it anticipates turning over 10,000 tonnes of Christmas leftovers into renewable energy.
Whether it’s turned-down turkey, roast potato remains or surplus sprouts, Green Power wants everyone to remember to make the most of their leftover food this Christmas, rather than let it go to landfill or incineration. If food can be re-used, Christmas leftovers make a great source of ingredients for other meals.
However, once food is past being fit for consumption, it’s vital that we capture its remaining energy potential. This festive waste, originating from almost two million homes, undergoes transformation at Green Power’s ten food waste anaerobic digestion facilities across the Home Counties, Midlands, South West and South Wales.
Instead of heading to landfill, where it creates methane – a potent greenhouse gas – Green Power will capture the gas from the uneaten food and turn it into renewable energy to be fed back to the grid, powering UK homes. As much as 5GWh of power will be made from the food, enough to keep 1,000 homes running all year.
Jessica Beare, Client Liaison Co-ordinator, said: “The festive season is a great time to eat, drink and be merry, but it’s the time of year when we notice a vast increase in the amount of food going to waste.
“It’s important to remember the good this food can still do, as it still has value to the renewable energy sector and can really help drive down greenhouse gas emissions if disposed of in the right way.” The anaerobic digestion process not only creates renewable energy but also a valuable nutrient-rich fertiliser that can be spread to land to enrich soil and create new food, so who knows, next year you may be eating your Christmas carrots grown using last year’s scraps!
