Our Facilities
The Backbone of ReFood: Our Facilities.
ReFood operates a network of three state-of-the-art, purpose-built food waste processing facilities across the UK. Together, they form the backbone of our end-to-end service, allowing us to collect, process, and recover value from food waste within a fully managed ReFood system.
Our facilities are designed specifically for food waste. This specialist focus delivers consistent performance, secure long-term capacity, and full traceability for customers ranging from independent businesses to national contracts.
Across our network, we process 480,000 tonnes of food waste per annum, making ReFood the second-largest dedicated food waste processor in the UK. This scale provides customers with confidence in our stability, reliability, and ability to support future growth.
Each facility operates as a regional service hub, with on-site transport fleets, operational teams, and commercial support embedded in the areas we serve. This structure allows us to deliver responsive collections, maintain high service levels, and keep processing close to where waste is produced, reducing unnecessary transport and strengthening local reliability.
Across the network, food waste is converted into renewable electricity and renewable gas, supplied into the national grid, while nutrients are recovered for productive use. All facilities operate under strict environmental controls and are licensed to accept Animal By-Products Category 2 and Category 3 material, providing full regulatory assurance and traceability.
Key Facts
- Built as the single largest AD industry investment in the UK at the time.
- Processing capacity: 160,000 tonnes per annum.
- Energy output: Renewable biomethane injected into the national gas grid.
- Renewable energy generated: Enough to power ~12,000 homes.
- ABP licence: Approved for Category 2 and Category 3 material.
- Transport hub: Box truck fleet for premium bin swap service and Class 1 vehicles for larger-format and bulk collections, all operated on ReFood’s own wheels.
Doncaster Facility
Doncaster was our first facility, opened in 2011, and remains the heart of ReFood’s operations and our head office. We are a proud Doncaster business and employer, with our parent company operating from this site since 1926. Our customer service and regional support teams are based here, ensuring responsive, locally grounded service for customers across Yorkshire and beyond.
The Doncaster facility has a processing capacity of 160,000 tonnes per annum and is a core part of ReFood’s national food waste network. At this site, food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion, producing biogas that is used to generate renewable electricity and heat. The plant operates at 5 MW, generating enough renewable electricity to power approximately 12,000 homes. Heat generated on site is also supplied back into the local industry, including our sister company, Nortech Foods, a Doncaster-based producer of animal and vegetable oils and fats, supplying foodservice and consumer markets. This creates a local closed-loop relationship, turning food waste into energy that supports regional industry.
Doncaster also operates as a fully integrated regional service hub. A dedicated fleet of box trucks is based at the site, delivering our premium bin swap service, which provides clean, sanitised bins as part of collection. In addition, the site operates a fleet of Class 1 vehicles for larger-format and bulk collections, ensuring customers of every size are serviced using ReFood-owned vehicles and drivers.
Operating under strict environmental and safety standards, the Doncaster facility provides long-term processing capacity, transparency, and reliable performance for our customers, while delivering meaningful environmental benefits for the region.
Widnes Facility
Widnes was ReFood’s second facility, opened in 2014, and serves as our regional hub for the North West. Purpose-built for dedicated food waste treatment, the site plays a key role in delivering reliable service capacity for customers across the region, supported by local operational, transport, and commercial teams based at the site.
Widnes was ReFood’s first gas-to-grid facility. Here, food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion to produce renewable biomethane, which is upgraded and injected directly into the national gas grid, supplying low-carbon energy to homes and industry. This marked an important step in ReFood’s energy recovery capability and supports the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels.
The Widnes site also operates as a fully integrated regional service hub. A dedicated fleet of box trucks is based at the depot, delivering our premium bin swap service, where clean, sanitised bins are provided as part of collection. In addition, Widnes operates a fleet of Class 1 vehicles for larger-format and bulk collections, ensuring we can service customers of every size using ReFood-owned vehicles and drivers.
Operating under strict environmental and safety standards, the Widnes facility provides long-term processing capacity, transparency, and consistent performance for our customers while delivering meaningful environmental benefits for the region.
Key Facts
- Second ReFood facility.
- Processing capacity: 160,000 tonnes per annum.
- Energy output: Renewable biomethane injected into the national gas grid.
- ABP licence: Approved for Category 2 and Category 3 material.
- Transport hub: Box truck fleet for premium bin swap service and Class 1 vehicles for larger-format and bulk collections, all operated on ReFood’s own wheels.
Key Facts
- Built as the single largest AD industry investment in the UK at the time.
- Processing capacity: 160,000 tonnes per annum.
- Energy output: Renewable biomethane injected into the national gas grid.
- Renewable energy generated: Enough to power ~12,000 homes.
- ABP licence: Approved for Category 2 and Category 3 material.
- Transport hub: Box truck fleet for premium bin swap service and Class 1 vehicles for larger-format and bulk collections, all operated on ReFood’s own wheels.
Dagenham Facility
Opened in 2017, the Dagenham facility is ReFood’s regional hub for London and the South East. At the time of commissioning, it represented the single largest investment made into the UK anaerobic digestion industry, underlining ReFood’s long-term commitment to dedicated food waste infrastructure.
Dagenham was developed as the next chapter in a long operational heritage in East London. Our previous food waste processing operations, under our parent company’s earlier trading names, were based in Silvertown from the 1880s. The move to Dagenham created a modern, purpose-built site designed specifically for food waste treatment, while maintaining our long-standing service presence in the capital.
The Dagenham facility processes food waste through anaerobic digestion to produce renewable biomethane, which is upgraded and injected directly into the national gas grid, supplying low-carbon energy to homes and industry. The biogas produced at Dagenham generates enough renewable energy to power approximately 12,000 homes, strengthening ReFood’s contribution to the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Like our other facilities, Dagenham also operates as a fully integrated regional service hub. Local operational, transport, and commercial teams are based on site, allowing ReFood to deliver responsive, high-service collections throughout London and the South East, while keeping processing close to where waste is produced.
Operating under strict environmental and safety standards, the Dagenham facility provides long-term processing capacity, transparency, and consistent performance for our customers, while delivering meaningful environmental benefit for one of the UK’s busiest commercial regions.
Get Started with ReFood
A simple way to start turning your food waste into renewable energy.
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Get in Touch
Contact ReFood today via phone (0800 011 3214), email (info@refood.co.uk), or our quick enquiry form. Tell us about your business, food waste volume, and any specific needs (e.g., space constraints or collection frequency). Our team provides free, no-obligation advice tailored to your site.
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We Set Up Your Service
We design a flexible collection plan that fits your operations, whether it’s clean bin swaps (sanitised 240-litre bins or smaller caddies), bag collections for tight spaces, or bulk options for larger producers. No bin rental fees, no hidden charges. We ensure full compliance with regulations, including Animal By-Product rules, and handle everything with traceability and hygiene in mind.
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Reap the Benefits
Your food waste is collected reliably on your schedule and processed through our closed-loop anaerobic digestion system. It turns into renewable energy (to power businesses and communities) and nutrient-rich bio-fertiliser for farms, diverting waste from landfill, reducing your carbon footprint, and supporting sustainability goals. Enjoy hassle-free service, transparent reporting, and the satisfaction of turning waste into a resource.
