Shropshire schools food waste recycling project

Leftover food from four schools in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin is being transported to a Shropshire Anaerobic Digestion plant at Harper Adams University and recycled into green energy as part of a pilot scheme that could lead to food waste from all schools in the county being fed into a green energy plant.

Harper Adams University has developed the anaerobic digestion plant at its campus in Telford several years ago.  The AD process converts mainly cow slurry and other organic farm wastes into heat, electricity and natural fertiliser, benefitting the environment.  However by adding in food waste it not only gives the facility an additional income stream (from waste treatment fees) but it actually increases gas yields and thus electricity production at the site.

The project involves waste from four schools; St Andrew’s C.E. School, Idsall School, Shifnal Primary School, and The Charlton School in Wellington, being collected by local recycling firm Cartwrights, which used a grant from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to covert a lorry into one suitable for the safe carriage of food waste.

Bill Campbell, Business Operations Manager at Shropshire Council said: “This is an exciting pilot project, which will allow us to assess the feasibility and ecological benefits of this waste service against its cost.  Shropshire Council is committed to supporting sustainable technology and diverting waste from landfill, so we are really keen to see this type of project rolled out against all of our school kitchens.”