Almost too good to be true is an overused phrase but fully justified in the case of biogas technology. It is not only an environmentally friendly way to get rid of excess food waste but also produces fertiliser to replenish the land and provides an alternative source of energy. A high proportion of food which is grown for human consumption isn't eaten but peeled off, scraped off or discarded as indigestible or inedible. Considering the average household produces around four kilogrammes of food waste in a week, if one takes into account the waste coming from commercial kitchens and that which is thrown out by supermarkets and shops as past its sell-by date, that is a significant amount of leftovers. Local authorities are being encouraged by legislation to find alternative ways of disposing of it other than through landfill, so other methods are needed. Incineration, though effective, is unpopular. Composting has the advantage of recycling the material
but has become more expensive, does not produce recoverable energy and because it is a dry process, is unsuitable for most food waste because it is too wet. A solution is to use an anaerobic or wet process, such as the one developed by Greenfinch Ltd, a Shropshire-based company that specialises in biogas technology. The company's founder Michael Chesshire, believes this form of technology that disposes of waste safely while being beneficial to the land and producing an alternative source of energy, is the way forward. The EU Animal By-Products Regulation is due to be enforced across Europe on May 1. This sets out strict conditions under which food waste may be processed to make sure that it is safe before it is
returned to the soil as fertiliser. Untreated waste contains harmful pathogens such as salmonella and
e.coli and needs to be stabilised prior to application. Greenfinch Ltd's process not only meets these regulations but also falls in line with government calls for a low carbon economy. Greenfinch set up a demonstration project in Ludlow where 1,200
households agreed to separate their food waste from their general household rubbish. This was
collected and delivered to Greenfinch who used it to help them develop a design for a commercial biogas plant which could turn 5,000 tonnes of putrescible food waste into a useable soil enhancer and renewable energy. "With the outbreak of foot and mouth disease, it became illegal to put catering waste through composting or biogas technology. That has been the situation for two years," said Mr Chesshire "That ban will be lifted on May 1 and it will mean a massive business opportunity for the West Midlands." Their proposal is to build biogas plants which will primarily service local authorities. The plants will probably be operated privately and authorities will pay a gate fee. After that begins a natural biological process turn it into biogas and biofertiliser while destroying the
pathogens at the same time. Biogas is 60 per cent methane, so it can be used to generate electricity and heat - it could even run the buses. As the man said, almost too good to be true. http://www.greenfinch.co.uk | 
