Caterham store uses latest technology to reduce landfill waste

Waitrose in Caterham has introduced anaerobic digestion into their business to lessen the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Waitrose was the first national food retailer to utilise anaerobic digestion to dispose of waste food. The first trials took place in five stores in May 2008.

Nicola Watts from Waitrose Caterham said: "In one month the process has produced enough energy from waste from our store to boil 144 kettles for one hour and produce fertilizer for farms. We are really proud to be helping the environment in this way."

Anaerobic digestion is a series of processes in which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The method is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or release energy. The method is widely used as a renewable energy source because the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production, helping to replace fossil fuels. The nutrient-rich digestate by-product can be used as fertilizer.

Almost any organic material can be processed with anaerobic digestion including materials such as waste paper, grass clippings, leftover food, sewerage and animal waste.

Utilising anaerobic digestion technologies can help to reduce the emission of green house gasses in a number of ways:

1. Replacing fossil fuels;

2. Reducing methane emission from landfills;

3. Reducing vehicle movements;

4. Reducing electrical grid transportation losses.

Waitrose's longstanding objective is to reduce waste wherever possible and to reuse or recycle more of what is produced.