Waitrose Ipswich has announced it will be working with Adnams Anaerobic Digestion Plant and Brewery to process its food waste when the shop opens on Thursday, 8 November. The shop will be the eighth Waitrose store in East Anglia to partner with the plant.

Food waste will be converted into gas and then used to make Adnams beer, which will be stocked at Waitrose Ipswich. All lines, including Sole Star, Ghost Shop and Lighthouse, will be available.

Mike Walters, Operations Manager, Recycling and Waste at Waitrose, said: “We are really pleased that we are able to continue our relationship with Adnams and add the new Ipswich branch to the scheme, which already covers seven of our branches in East Anglia. This innovative plant allows us to make use of unavoidable food waste. This month we have reached our goal of sending zero food waste to landfill, three months ahead of our target which is a fantastic achievement. It is partnerships with other businesses, such as Adnams, that have made this possible.”

Paul Reeley, Branch Manager of Waitrose Ipswich, added: “We’re really looking forward to seeing everything come full circle in this process – from seeing the waste getting processed into gas, seeing the gas help to brew the beer and then see that beer end up on our shelves. It’s great to work with local suppliers, but even better that we can work in such a way that will benefit the environment.”

In partnership with British Gas and National Grid, and with help from Waitrose, Adnams Bio Energy generates up to 4.8 million kilowatt-hours of gas per year, enough to heat 235 family homes for a year. The plant was launched in 2010 and is operated by Biogroup on behalf of Adnams at its main Southwold Brewery Distribution Centre.