Cornwall recycles 36,000 tonnes of food waste; digester could power 8,500 homes

Food waste accounted for 22% of black bag rubbish in Cornwall, with 43% of that still in packaging.

For two years leftover food has been taken to an anaerobic digester in Holsworthy, Devon, operated by Severn Trent Green Power; about 36,000 tonnes have been recycled since the new service began.

The facility usually processes about 1,100 tonnes a week and managers said the methane produced runs engines and generators that can make enough electricity to power 8,500 homes; the digestate is used as fertiliser for farmers.

Waste is filtered, mixed with water and fed into a digester to create methane; the site uses heat to pasteurise material and injects electricity into the National Grid.

The council said current recycling is just over 50% and it hopes increased participation will help reach a recycling rate of nearly two‑thirds by 2029, but the long‑term sustainability and participation rates of the programme are not discussed.