Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
What a Load of Rubbish
Infographic: Here's how a Sainsbury's store will run on rubbish
Supermarket branch will use food waste to make methane gas and generate enough electricity to power the store.
A SAINSBURY’S STORE in Cannock, England is coming off the British national grid and being powered day-to-day by rubbish.
Food waste unsuitable for donating to charity or to animals will be collected across Sainsbury’s stores in the UK and passed through advanced anaerobic digestion (AD) silos to break the waste down into methane gas (as shown in the Sainsbury’s infographic below).
The gas will then be used to produce electricity to power the Cannock store.
Any additional electricity generated through the AD facilities will be passed on to the national grid.
The supermarket chain says that the process’s by-product, called ‘digestate’, can be used as a fertiliser by local farms. It also says that all of the general waste produced in its stores is recycled or turned into fuel.
have your say