About a third of the food we buy in the UK ends up in the bin - but it all could be used at anaerobic digestion plants
by Michael Smith
Anaerobic digestion is the "way forward" when it comes to reducing the UK's massive landfill requirements, according to a top Defra Minister.
Now who would have thought that that could be the way forward and the government of the UK actually admitting that? Times must indeed be a-changing.
Joan Ruddock, the Waste Minister, said the process, which turns household food waste into electricity and compost, is "extremely attractive".
She made the comments during a visit to an anaerobic digestion plant in Ludlow, Shropshire, last week.
The plant is part of Defra's £30m New Technologies Demonstrator Program, which tests innovative technology that could offer alternatives to landfill.
At its full potential, it is thought anaerobic digestion could produce enough electricity to power two million homes.
Once again the British government it rather late with things but finally they have woken up. Others have been doing this for ages but, before, it could not be done in Britain, this govt. claimed.
Again it takes millions of Pound Sterling in research before they seem to be able to even think about them doing a demonstrator program, while all they would need to do, like with so many other waste reductions and recycling programs is go and have a look at how those work in other countries and then, for goodness sake, build and use them here.
The fact, which Ms Ruddock does not seem to know, it would appear, is that not only such anaerobic anaerobic digestion plants could provide the gas for powering the generating plants. The same gas is also present in all landfills and could be harvested from there as well. Now many more homes could all that power. Furthermore, all sewerage plants also have an abundance of this gas, namely methane and relatives of the same, and at present in both cases, namely that of landfill and sewerage plants, the gas is flared off or simply vented off.
Visiting the plant, Ms Ruddock said: "Anaerobic digestion is extremely attractive. Why would we go on throwing food waste into holes in the ground when we could generate our own electricity and end up with a product that can be returned to the soil?
"It seems to me that a plant on this scale would fit into any industrial estate in the country.
"While the decision has to be taken locally - and in consultation with residents - I am sure this is the way forward."
Nearly three quarters of people living near the Ludlow plant are taking part in the voluntary food waste collection scheme which supplies the plant.
As the residents provide the “food” for the plant I sure hope that they also get the electricity thus generated at a very much reduced rate. That, however, I am certain, is but wishful thinking.
The partnership running the trial said this success was down to good communication with the local community - an idea which Defra is backing.
Defra is making a further £10m available for a program to further test the benefits of anaerobic digestion.
While the idea, as I have been saying in all that I have written, is a good one why do we need to make millions again available to further test the benefits. The benefits are already known in other countries. Why do we not just use the findings from other countries and then get the finger out and do it ourselves rather than throwing money at research that need not to be done. Like the millions spent to research whether inland waterways and canals could be used to carry freight. What do those sitting in their ivory towers pay think our ancestors in the seventeenth century very well built the canals for; leisure and pleasure boating? Nay! For freight it was. For coal and pottery goods and much, much more. But I digressed. I tend to do that.
© M Smith (Veshengro), September 2008
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British Waste Minister gives anaerobic digestion the thumbs up
