Sainsbury’s transforms food waste into fuel for HGVs
Sainsbury's is set to transform its food waste into fuel for a number of its HGV trucks.
Sainsbury’s is turning its food waste into fuel for a number of its HGV trucks.
From March, the grocery giant’s initiative will see biofuel produced directly from its food waste power 30 trucks at its Emerald Park distribution centre in Bristol, comprising half of the site’s fleet.
The move will save more than 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 1,950 households.
Waste processor RenECO currently works with the supermarket to turn food waste that can’t be donated or used for animal feed into biogas via anaerobic digestion. The system will now use the output of its anaerobic digestion, the biogas, to produce a liquid biofuel suitable for HGVs.
The system ensures all fuel comes directly from the grocer’s waste, unlike traditional methods which mix certified biomethane with non-renewable gases.
It also allows for precise tracking of carbon emission reductions, contributing to the retailer’s scope 1 and 2 emission reduction target.
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Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer Patrick Dunne said: “Today’s announcement underscores the power that collaboration has in driving impactful change across business.
“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.”
Sainsbury’s joins Aldi in seeking to make its HGVs more sustainable. Back in September, the discounter set out to convert more than 30% of its fleet of owned HGVs to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuels in a bid to cut its carbon footprint.
The move covers more than 160 HGVs based at Aldi’s Cardiff, Swindon and Neston distribution centres, and is expected to cut the retailer’s carbon emissions by approximately 15,400 tonnes of CO2e per year.
In July, AO also invested £2m into its delivery fleet to cut carbon emissions.
The electricals giant transitioned its tractor units from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG), with aims to have 90% of its vehicles running on the fuel by 2030.
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