A PIONEERING scheme which turns waste food into fuel could be a 'win-win' for Leeds.

Adel and Wharfedale councillor Barry Anderson wants to see citywide recycling of discarded food - and he says it could even be turned into fuel to help provide the city with heating.

Currently only Rothwell has waste food taken away by Leeds City Council for recycling - but Cllr Anderson wants the service to be expanded across Leeds. He is calling on the city council to outline the options that are being investigated for a city-wide food waste recycling service.

Cllr Anderson pointed to an innovative new scheme ‘Biocoal’ from CPL industries and the University of Nottingham, which will take large amounts of food-waste and convert it into a usable by-product which can be burned in place of fossil fuels to create heat and electricity. Partners are now being sought for the venture.

He said: "There are a number of additional things that this council can be doing to stop sending waste to the RERF (Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility). Expanding the food waste service to be city-wide is an excellent way to increase the level of recycling in the city. We know there are partners out there who can help in delivering innovative solutions, so let’s get talking.

"Currently there are limited options for food waste recycling, therefore by collecting it we will add straight to the bottom line on our recycling targets. We could add as much as seven per cent by expanding this one service alone. One possible option is to use biocoal - If the resulting product could then be used more efficiently in the District Heating Project, it would be a win-win for Leeds."

CPL Industries are planning to install the UK’s first commercial-scale hydro-thermal carbonisation plant in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire to create biocoal.

A report was presented to Leeds City Council's Executive Board in November 2017 outlining the future of the waste and recycling strategy and showing falling recycling levels.

It said: "The Council has commissioned detailed feasibility work to assess how food waste collections could be delivered more affordably and such that this stimulates the development of local anaerobic digestion treatment capacity together with the associated renewable energy generation. Options considered have included the co-collection of food waste with other materials in split-bodied vehicles, and partnering

with neighbouring councils to reduce the costs for any single authority in capturing sufficient food waste to bring forward an AD (anaerobic digestion) facility.

"Modelling has shown that there nevertheless remains a substantial cost attached to the introduction of food waste collections, even taking account of the avoided black bin waste disposal costs. This is estimated at over £3m per annum if rolled out citywide in Leeds. However, unlike garden waste and glass, this is a waste stream for which there is no alternative recycling facility (such as household waste sites and recycling banks), and for this reason could arguably be seen as a priority material for investment."