Veolia roll out food waste collection for over 300 of Whitbread's sites
Veolia will collect food waste from more than 300 of Whitbread’s hotels and restaurants, including Premier Inn, Beefeater Grill, Brewers Fayre, Table Table and Taybarns, by the end of 2010. The food waste will then be processed by specialist anaerobic digestion operators Biogen Greenfinch to create renewable energy and prevent more than 2,000 tonnes of carbon emission entering the atmosphere every year – taking the equivalent of 750 vehicles off the road.
The roll out of the food waste scheme follows a successful six-month food waste collection trial. Veolia worked closely with Whitbread during the trial to analyse the food waste and to develop a plan that would accommodate the varied food waste streams of the Whitbread estate.
Tom Spaul, chief operating officer at Veolia said: “Food waste is a valuable resource and can be diverted from landfill to help make a positive contribution to the environment and help the UK’s drive for increased renewable energy sources. Recycling food waste is a growing area of waste management and we are pleased to be exploring its potential with Whitbread.”
Alexandra Glenn, Procurement Manager for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants said: “Whitbread are leading the hospitality industry’s drive towards improving sustainable performance. One of our key targets is to achieve 80% of waste diverted from landfill from our hotels and restaurants by February 2012 and this will help us achieve that target.”