In the UK, Bio Capital Group (Bio Capital), the country's largest producer of renewable electricity and biomethane gas from food waste, has announced a new partnership with Durham County Council, as one of two providers processing household food waste from around 250,000 homes.
The partnership follows Bio Capital’s recently announced agreement with nearby Darlington Borough Council, which will see food waste from more than 54,000 homes across the borough processed.
We’re proud to be working with Durham County Council on a partnership that shows what food waste collection can really achieve at county scale. County Durham has a major opportunity here. Food waste from homes can be captured and processed locally and turned into renewable energy and biofertiliser that supports the wider circular economy, said Iain Pickles, Head of Commercial at Bio Capital.
Together, the two partnerships represent a growing shift in the North East. Food waste collected from homes is no longer treated as simply something to dispose of, but as a local resource that can help generate renewable energy, support sustainable farming and reduce emissions.
Alongside our recently announced partnership with Darlington Borough Council, this strengthens the North East’s role in showing how local authorities can move beyond compliance and build food waste systems that deliver real value for communities, businesses and the environment, Iain Pickles said.
Local processing
Food waste collected from households in Durham will be transported to Bio Capital’s Warrens Emerald Biogas facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, where it will be processed through anaerobic digestion (AD).
The process breaks down food waste without oxygen to create biogas, which can then be used to generate renewable electricity and biomethane (aka renewable natural gas – RNG) for homes and businesses.
The same process also produces nutrient-rich biofertiliser, which is returned to farmland to support food production.
Compliance with Simpler Recycling legislation
Bio Capital works with more than 20 councils across the UK, helping local authorities turn food waste collections into renewable energy and biofertiliser.
With Simpler Recycling legislation now in force across England, separate food waste collection is becoming a core requirement for councils.
Simpler Recycling has brought separate food waste collection into sharper focus, but the real opportunity is what happens next. When food waste is managed properly, it becomes part of an intelligent cycle: powering homes and businesses, supporting farmland and reducing emissions, said Iain Pickles.
For Durham County Council, the new partnership provides a local, long-term processing solution at a facility already embedded in the region’s waste and energy infrastructure.
By processing the material close to where it is collected, the partnership also helps reduce unnecessary transport, while keeping more of the environmental and economic value within the region.
Following food waste recycling schemes being introduced by the Government, we have been working hard to implement the service across the county. Our partnership with Bio Capital means food waste collected across County Durham will be processed locally with a tangible benefit to our economy and farmers, alongside supporting our growing demand for energy. We’re always on the lookout for great partnerships to help us deliver for residents, and we’re hopeful that’s what our partnership with Bio Capital will prove to be, commented Cllr Kyle Genner, Durham County Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Police Relations.
