Bio Capital, the UK's largest producer of renewable energy from food waste, has announced a partnership with Darlington Borough Council to process household food waste from more than 54 000 homes across the borough.
Food waste gathered from Darlington residents will be transported to Bio Capital's Warrens Emerald Biogas facility, the first bespoke anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in the North East of England, where it will be converted into renewable energy to heat and power homes and businesses across the local area.
The AD process also creates compressed natural gas (CNG); a low-carbon biofuel for vehicles, what’s left over is a nutrient-rich organic biofertilizer that is returned to local farmland to support food production.
With the government's Simpler Recycling reforms now in effect across England, separate household food waste collection is no longer optional, but a statutory requirement. This partnership ensures Darlington Borough Council meets that obligation while extracting every unit of value from the material it collects.
By processing food waste close to where it is produced at the Newton Aycliffe facility, the partnership also minimises transport emissions and provides Darlington with a reliable, locally rooted service.
Iain Pickles, Head of Commercial at Bio Capital, said: “We're proud to be working with Darlington Borough Council on something that feels genuinely significant. Simpler Recycling has brought households into this system in a way we haven't seen before, the scale of participation is new, and that means the scale of impact can be too.
“Food waste has always had value. In Darlington, that value doesn't stop at the gate of our facility. It goes, back into homes and businesses, and back into the farmland that feeds communities. We're excited to work with Darlington on this truly circular approach.”
Libby McCollom, Darlington Council’s cabinet member for local services, added: “I am delighted that residents, businesses and local farms can directly benefit from the introduction of food waste recycling in Darlington.
“At the same time as starting food waste collections, we have also simplified our general recycling collection and made them weekly, making it as easy as possible for residents to recycle more.”
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