Processing at RenEco’s new animal feed production facility has now started in collaboration with UK retailer Tesco.
The facility in Chelveston, Northamptonshire, was designed to manufacture animal feed by processing the supermarket’s surplus bakery and produce, aiming to further drive circularity in Tesco’s supply chain.
The plant, which will operate 52 weeks of the year and handle up to 1,000 tonnes of product a week, will process the supermarket’s surplus bakery and produce that has already been offered to Tesco colleagues and charity partners.
The feed plant has been designed to handle packaged food delivered in supermarket cages, as well as having the capability to handle bulk volume and palletised materials from food manufacturing sites.
“The Chelveston site marks a step change in our ambition to drive more circularity and sustainability in our food system.”
Christine Heffernan, Tesco
On arrival at the animal feed plant all surplus food cages are weighed and automatically analysed for feed safety, and the bakery and produce materials are then quality checked and mechanically de-packaged. The final products are then mixed to produce a formulated feed to the end farms’ specifications. It is intended that the feed will be supplied to farmers supplying Tesco.
The feed plant is located within the Chelveston Renewable Energy Park and is powered by 100% renewable power from wind and solar. The site is strategically located in the middle of the country to minimise Tesco’s carbon impact, as well as being close to the supermarket’s rail hub.
Christine Heffernan, chief communications and sustainability officer at Tesco, said: “The Chelveston site marks a step change in our ambition to drive more circularity and sustainability in our food system. It’s ability to handle surplus from our suppliers and other retailers makes it potentially transformational in how waste is handled in the UK and will be instrumental in helping Tesco to reduce its food waste.”
Tom Osborne, food by-products operations manager at RenEco, said: “By collaborating with Tesco we have been able to design, build and operate a facility that provides an innovative solution to create a circular supply chain. We are passionate about providing a product which is both nutritional and less carbon intensive than traditional feeds. Our investment in this facility is another example of RenEco’s commitment to providing industry leading solutions to our partners and customers.”
