_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BioteCH 4
Though the separation of food waste is still a relatively new concept in the realm of waste management,
BioteCH 4 stands at the forefront of environmental innovation. A true market leader in the recycling of bioresources,
BioteCH 4 pioneers the power of waste as a force for good, transforming discarded food scraps into renewable energy via anaerobic digestion, sustainably providing the equivalent amount of electricity to power upwards of 30,000 homes. With over 200 employees across six locations, the company processes a staggering 600,000 tons of waste each year, producing almost 300,000 MWh of energy annually and making a truly monumental impact on the UK’ s wider sustainability journey.
In conversation in September 2024, Lee Dobinson, Chief Commercial Officer at
BioteCH 4
, uncovered the importance of food waste in the cleaner energy transition and what businesses can do to maximize recycling rates and reduce their environmental impact. Since then, a lot has changed within the market, most notably the roll-out of the UK’ s Environmental Act 2021, which legislates that the majority of UK businesses must now separate and recycle their food waste, with local authorities also being required to provide food waste recycling bins for domestic properties in 2026. Now, one year after our previous interview, Lee offers an update on how BioteCH 4 has progressed since we last spoke, as well as taking a deeper dive into how the company is supporting local businesses and communities to comply with the recent and upcoming changes to help build a better world for all.
▶ Lee Dobinson, Chief Commercial Officer
“ As of April this year, any businesses employing more than ten people are now required to have a food waste recycling solution in place, so over the last 12 months, we’ ve been working with businesses to help ensure they’ re compliant. We have also been heavily engaged with the public sector as they gear up to provide similar services to households across the country from next April,” Lee begins.“ We’ ve also seen a change of CEO in our business, with Christer Stoyell taking over, which has given us a refreshed focus. It’ s been a really exciting 12 months. We have five anaerobic digestion facilities processing food waste into energy, and we have planning permission for one more.”
Whilst anaerobic digestion may be an alien concept to many households, BioteCH 4 is committed to advocating its benefits and making food waste recycling as simple as possible for local authorities and communities. For one, recycling food waste into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion is a highly sustainable process: food waste – or feedstock – is broken down by bacteria in a digester tank and as the waste decomposes, it releases biogases that are captured and injected into the national grid or converted into electricity. Aside from generating renewable energy, this process also minimizes the volume of food waste going to landfill and reduces carbon emissions, contributing towards a circular economy. For residents, however, it’ s as easy as a two-caddy operation.
“ Each household will have two food waste caddies: a small one for inside the home and a larger one for outside,” Lee elaborates.“ Throughout the week, you’ ll decant those bags of food waste from the inside to the outside caddy and once a week, the local authority will come and empty that caddy. They’ ll then do one of two things: they’ ll either take
newenergy-today. com 99