It’s a sad truth that the Western world wastes a lot of food. 

Whether that’s chucking leftovers in the bin at home or whole supermarkets throwing away crates of out-of-date stock, it’s a real issue. 

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. In this article, we’ll explore what a closed-loop system is, how it can benefit business, and how it works in the real world. 

What is a closed-loop food waste system? 

A closed-loop food waste system is a process whereby food is produced, collected and recycled to create useful products such as bioenergy and digestate to produce more food. Hence the loop is ‘closed’, as there is minimal waste and environmental impact.  

The opposite of this, which is unfortunately more common, is the open-loop system. This means food is produced, consumed and the leftovers thrown away. It’s by its very nature wasteful and also means that even more energy is needed to produce even more food. 

It’s easy to see which option is better for our planet, and as more businesses aim to reduce their food waste, the closed-loop system is becoming increasingly popular. 

What are the benefits of a closed-loop system? 

Large companies that produce food are finding that waste is a huge problem. In fact, millions of tonnes of food waste are reported in the UK each year, which costs both the planet and your pocket. 

That’s why the closed-loop system is so valuable to businesses on many different levels. Let’s take a look at the benefits it can bring you: 

• • Keeps you lawful: New commercial food waste legislation for the UK will come into force in March 2025 and will dictate that all non-domestic premises with 10 or more employees must separate dry recycling from food recycling. It also says that food waste must be processed separately too, before being collected by a licensed carrier. This is all the better if this carrier is a company, like Bio Collectors, which can recycle the food too. 

• Reduces greenhouse gases: Food is not harmless when it breaks down. It actually emits methane, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases there is. By ensuring that less food goes to landfill through closed-loop recycling, you can dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas output as a business. 

• Powers the country: Here at Bio Collectors, we are certified by the National Grid to use the renewable bioenergy produced from your food to power homes and businesses across the country. 

• Grows new food: One of the by-products from the food recycling process is nutrient-rich digestate. This is used to grow new food, making this a truly cyclical and resource-conserving process. 

• Saves money: Sending tonnes of food to landfill comes with a large landfill tax bill. And the more waste you’ve got to chuck, the higher the bill will be. Closed-loop recycling bypasses this cost completely, saving your business money. 

Now you’ve explored the benefits, let’s take a look at how closed-loop recycling has directly helped a real-life business. 

How does it work in reality? 

To finish off, we’d like to tell you about a closed-loop success story. 

Here at Bio Collectors, we helped New Covent Garden Market create a circular economy by arranging food collections and recycling on a schedule that suited them. This market is the UK’s leading fruit, vegetable and flower market and provides ingredients to many of London’s restaurants, hotels and schools. 

We have collected over 4,500 tonnes of food waste from the market and brought it to our state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facility. 

At this facility, the food waste collected has: 

• Produced 3,453 tonnes of bio-fertiliser to grow new food 
• Powered 1,218 homes 
• Saved 5,000 litres of diesel 

Overall, we provided a sustainable solution for this famed food market by creating an easy and convenient closed-loop system. Why don’t you have a go too? 

Get ready for the upcoming food waste laws with help from Bio Collectors, powering the future with today’s food. If your business is within London and the M25 area, we can collect and recycle your food waste to keep your company running like clockwork while also protecting the planet. Simply contact us today to find out more.