Food waste from Lewisham will be used to power local homes from April.

According to Lewisham Council, 7,000 tonnes of food waste produced by Lewisham residents each year will not only power homes but also produce fertiliser for the agricultural sector.

The Council says its new Food and Garden Waste contract will save the borough £200,000 annually.

It adds that the money will be put back into local communities and help fund services for Lewisham residents.

Lewisham Council has teamed up with anaerobic digestion company East London Biogas for the new contract.

Lewisham residents produce food waste equivalent to around 550 double-decker buses each year.

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Garden waste will be recycled into compost as part of the new contract, which comes into effect in April.

Councillor Patrick Codd, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, and the Council’s Waste and Recycling Team recently visited the plant to see first-hand how food waste and other biodegradable materials are broken down and turned into electricity, heat and fertiliser.

Mr Codd and Council staff were taken through the entire digestive process by officers at East London Biogas.

Staff explained how the food waste that arrives at the plant is separated from the bin lining and pumped into an anaerobic digestion tank where it produces a biogas that is converted into energy.

The digested waste also produces a digestate fertiliser which can be used on local farms to help grow crops.

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Mr Codd said: “Transforming the way we manage waste is a vital part of our fight against climate change and promoting the circular economy of waste.

“Food waste makes up over 40% of our recycling collections, and so we have an opportunity to make a real difference to our environment by changing how we deal with it.

“We’re pleased to be working with East London Biogas to ensure our food waste is put to good use - helping to power homes and other buildings as part of our new approach to waste management.”

Jack Armond, Commercial Manager at East London Biogas, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Lewisham Council to help address the climate crisis through innovative solutions to the issue of organic waste being sent to landfill. “Landfill can be avoided by utilising treatment facilities such as anaerobic digestion, which recycles food waste back into local community use in the form of renewable energy and digestate fertiliser for local farmlands.

“Tackling climate change can’t be done alone - by teaming up with Lewisham Council and other boroughs, we can all work together to keep resources in use for longer, limit the impact that waste has on our environment and create a greener future for local people.”

The new contract is part of Lewisham Council’s recently adopted Waste Strategy for 2021-2031.

This focuses on reusing resources and keeping materials in use for longer.

As part of the Council’s new approach to waste management, plans are now being developed to expand food waste collections to local housing estates, businesses and markets - and later in the year, to schools.

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