Sainsbury’s will use food wasted from its stores to power 30 delivery trucks at its Emerald Park distribution centre in Bristol.
The supermarket has partnered with food processer RenEco for the circular trial, which begins in March. RenEco already works with Sainsbury’s to convert surplus food that is unfit for consumption into biogas, via anaerobic digestion.
Now, RenEco will use the biogas to create a liquid biofuel, which will be used buy Sainsbury’s to power the HGVs. The retailer claims the new circular process is different to traditional methods, which combine biomethane with non-renewable gases, ensuring that all the fuel comes directly from Sainsbury’s supply chain.
By switching from diesel, Sainsbury’s said the process could save over 3,000 tonnes of carbon monoxide each year. The circular system would also allow for more precise tracking of Sainsbury’s carbon emission reductions, Sainsbury’s claimed.
“Today’s announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business,” said Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer.
“We are proud to have worked closely with our supplier RenEco to deliver a pioneering move that supports our commitment to circularity and helps us to take a further step towards becoming net zero across our operations by 2035.”
It’s the latest supermarket to widen its partnership with RenEco, which in September was appointed by Tesco to build a major new facility to turn surplus food into animal feed.
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