An innovative facility which uses anaerobic digestion will allow Sainsbury’s Cannock store to run on power generated solely from the supermarket chain's own food waste. Using Biffa’s advanced anaerobic digestion facilities and a unique power link up, Sainsbury’s Cannock store will come off the National Grid to be powered using electricity generated using food waste from the chain's stores across the UK. The ground-breaking project helps to close the loop on food recycling and the company will continue to send zero operational waste to landfill.

How it works:-

The supermarkets send zero operational waste to landfill.

All food suitable for human consumption goes to charity partners

Any food waste that is unsuitable for charitable donations or animal feed (waste bananas from the Prescott Road store go to Knowsley safari park to feed the animals) is sent to anaerobic digestion to be converted to energy

This remaining food waste is collected from the company's supermarkets around the UK using their own delivery lorries. It is returned to the anaerobic digestion plant in Cannock.

The food waste is turned into bio-methane gas, which is then used to generate electricity at the plant.

Electricity for the Cannock store is then directly supplied to the supermarket via a newly constructed 1.5km long electricity cablle, and the new power supply means the store will come off the National Grid for day to day electricity consumption. The company is already the UK’s largest retail user of anaerobic digestion, generating enough energy to power 2,500 homes each year

Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability said: ‘Sainsburys sends absolutely no waste to landfill and we’re always looking for new ways to reuse and recycle. So we’re delighted to be the first business ever to make use of this linkup technology, allowing our Cannock store to be powered entirely by our food waste.’