What Happens to Our Collected Food Waste?

Inside ReFood’s Closed-Loop Process

When you outsource your commercial food waste management, knowing where that waste goes is more than an operational detail; it’s a compliance necessity and a core ESG metric.

So, what happens to our collected food waste?

Once collected, your food waste is transported directly through ReFood’s UK-based Anaerobic Digestion (AD) network. Instead of going to landfill or incinerators, every tonne of food waste is processed through a closed-loop system into two valuable resources: renewable energy fed into the national grid and PAS110-certified ReGrow biofertiliser used to cultivate future food crops.

Because ReFood controls how waste enters, moves through, and is processed within this network, we ensure total operational control, complete traceability, and strict regulatory compliance from start to finish.

The ReFood Difference: Full Chain of Custody & Operational Control

In the waste sector, many brokers and logistics providers contract out different stages of the waste journey to third parties. This fragments the supply chain and makes true traceability difficult to prove.

ReFood operates differently. We manage an end-to-end framework, utilising dedicated vehicles, specialised logistics hubs (including our flagship facility in Doncaster capable of processing 160,000 tonnes per year), and direct network oversight.

Why This Level of Control Matters for Your Business

• Guaranteed End Destination: Because we control the processing infrastructure, we can tell you exactly which facility handled your waste and what it was transformed into.
• Full Audit Trail: We maintain a documented chain of custody that simplifies your ESG reporting and corporate sustainability audits.
• ABP Compliance: All our processing facilities are fully licensed to handle Category 2 and Category 3 Animal By-Products (ABP), ensuring total regulatory protection for your business under UK environmental law.

How Anaerobic Digestion Converts Food Waste Into Resources

At the heart of our process is Anaerobic Digestion (AD), a natural biological process where microorganisms break down organic matter in the total absence of oxygen inside sealed vessels.

1. Reception & Depackaging: Collected food waste is delivered to our processing sites. Any packaged food is mechanically separated, isolating the organic material without contamination.
2. Pasteurisation: To meet strict Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR), the organic material is pasteurised to eliminate pathogens, guaranteeing safety.
3. Biological Breakdown: Inside oxygen-free digesters, naturally occurring bacteria digest the organic matter, producing biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide) and a liquid remnant called digestate.

What Does Your Food Waste Become?

Instead of taking up landfill space or generating uncontained emissions, your collected food waste produces two sustainable outputs:

1. Cleaner Power for UK Homes & Businesses

The captured biogas is upgraded to biomethane and injected directly into the national gas grid or used to generate renewable electricity. This offsets fossil fuel consumption, helping the UK transition to clean energy while reducing your company's Scope 3 supply chain emissions.

2. PAS110-Certified ReGrow Biofertiliser

The nutrient-dense digestate left behind isn't treated as a residue; it becomes ReGrow, our organic biofertiliser certified to the rigorous PAS110 standard. This certification confirms that ReGrow is a fully regulated, pathogen-free fertiliser rather than a waste material.

Unlike standard chemical fertilisers, ReGrow restores vital macro-nutrients directly to agricultural land, closing the nutrient loop:

• Nitrogen (N): Drives vegetative growth and crop foliage development.
• Phosphate (P): Promotes strong root architecture and internal plant energy transfer.
• Potassium (K): Enhances plant resilience, crop quality, and water regulation.
• Magnesium (Mg) & Sulphur (S): Supports chlorophyll production and balanced soil fertility for sustained yield.

By substituting chemical fertilisers with ReGrow, local farmers replenish degraded soils and grow the next generation of crops, completing a true circular economy.

Close the Loop on Your Business Food Waste

Outsourcing your food waste to a provider with complete operational control ensures your waste is turned into measurable environmental value.

Partner with ReFood to protect your regulatory compliance, hit your sustainability targets, and participate in a true closed-loop process.

Ready to streamline your waste management? Contact ReFood Today for a custom waste collection quote.

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