Food for thought: The growing need for anaerobic digestion in England

In April this year, the government’s Simpler Recycling legislation will require segregated food waste collection across England. Currently, around half of English councils collect food waste, and the mandated uptake will represent a steep change.

While this is good news for the environment, is England’s infrastructure prepared?  

Anaerobic digestion (AD) treatment facilities are the main way of managing food waste in England, but AD plants are built in response to demand and can take many years to pass through planning and construction. Despite their utility and benefits, approval and delivery can be far from simple.

With a potential wave of new demand coming in a very short timeframe, we expect that a significant increase in AD capacity will be needed if we are to reap the benefits from segregation of food waste at source. While this could be seen as a looming problem, it’s better to look at this as a major opportunity for growth, local investment, and helping to meet net zero targets, as the benefits of AD far outweigh potential impacts. 

Our energy and waste management specialists can talk through the scale of the issue, outline the process behind bringing AD plants online, and explain what’s needed to increase national resilience in this vital sector.