Waitrose is claiming to be the first supermarket in Britain to run trials of anaerobic digestion (AD) with waste from five of its stores as part of a drive to divert food waste from landfill and generate renewable power.

Food which has passed its sell-by-date and other biodegradable matter like paper plates, napkins tea-bags, coffee grounds and corn starch packaging is being taken away to be treated to produce compost and energy.

Waitrose claims it is the first supermarket in the UK to trial AD

The supermarket claims it is the first of its kind to trial this kind of waste treatment which sees Luton-based recycling firm Cawley's pick up food waste from five stores in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire - at Northampton, Towcester, Ampthill, St Neots and Rushden.

Milton Ernest-based AD facility Biogen treat the waste at their 42,000 tonne capacity plant which has been in operation since 2005.

Waitrose Recycling & Waste manager, Arthur Sayer said: "Waitrose is continually looking at ways of reducing its impact on the environment.

"Anaerobic digestion has been operating in other European countries, such as Germany for decades, so we thought it was well worth trying out on a commercial scale for our supermarkets. So far the signs are really positive - and this looks to be a sustainable way of eliminating the need to send waste food to landfill," he added.

The plant which takes the waste feeds the electricity it produces into the National Grid and is capable of providing power for 500 homes.

John Cawley, managing director of Cawley's, explained: "Consumers will be delighted that Waitrose is pioneering the use of anaerobic digestion in the retail market. It shows that retailers can make positive environmental changes at all stages in the food chain, treating food waste management as seriously as food sourcing and creating a positive circle whereby food waste can be recycled back to fertiliser for the land in a process which produces renewable energy, and avoids sending waste to landfill where it can produce greenhouse gases.

"Waitrose has worked very hard with us to make the food recycling service work during the trial period and we are delighted to see the scheme operating in five stores," he added.

Waitrose's interest in anaerobic digestion comes a month after Defra announced the next stage of its £10 million anaerobic digestion demonstrator project with bids invited for between three and six new schemes which will be built to showcase the benefits of treating waste using the technology (see letsrecycle.com story).

Defra has agreed to work with industry to overcome barriers to greater use of AD and to take action to increase its capacity in the UK.

Waitrose said it aimed to minimise food waste in other ways too. It currently supplies food to community projects and animal sanctuaries and works with growers and farmers to reduce wastage within the supply chain. It also supports the Waste and Resources Action Programme's 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign and is looking at ways to raise consumer awareness of this issue.