A new food waste recycling facility in the UK is expected to cut emissions at a volume equivalent to taking 86,000 cars off the road each year.

Agrivert’s fifth anaerobic digestion plant, the £14 million site in Hertfordshire adds an additional 50,000 tonnes of capacity to the company’s existing network.

Already operating at full power, the plant turns municipal food waste, along with refuse from local businesses and Essex County Council, into an abundant source of renewable electricity and nutrient rich bio-fertiliser.

The bio-fertiliser alone helps displace more then 3,000 tonnes of fossil fuel derived chemicals and the 3MW of energy generated is used to supply around 5,900 local homes and businesses – it is directed to the closest point of need to cut down on transmission losses.

Richard Thake, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “This facility is expected to process around 50,000 tonnes of organic waste per year and will generate electricity that will be exported to the National Grid.

“By sorting food waste from general household rubbish we can prevent a large amount of waste being sent to landfill, where it would generate greenhouse gas emissions.”

IKEA has announced plans to cut food waste by 50% by the end of the decade.