M&S to use energy from food waste

Marks & Spencer has signed an agreement with a waste management firm to convert its food waste into electricity. Shanks Group will use its 60 ktpa (kilo tonnes per annum) […]

Marks & Spencer has signed an agreement with a waste management firm to convert its food waste into electricity.

Shanks Group will use its 60 ktpa (kilo tonnes per annum) anaerobic digestion (AD) plant (pictured) to convert the high street retailer’s food waste into biogas to generate renewable energy.

Under the contract, M&S will directly buy around 19,000 MWh of electricity every year from the plant – the equivalent energy used to power 33 M&S Simply Food stores.

Giacinto Patellaro, Head of Energy Supply & Risk at M&S said the deal is a vital part of its Plan A sustainability initiative, which addresses social and environmental issues such as energy saving, carbon emissions and waste management.

He said: “Having advocated the use of AD technology since the launch of our sustainability programme Plan A, back in 2007, we’re now seeing in practice how the plant at Cumbernauld is helping M&S to maintain two of our targets: to procure 100% renewable electricity and send zero waste to landfill.”

Former M&S energy expert Mervyn Bowden is speaking at Energy Live 2012 today at the QE2 centre in London.

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