Turning Waste into Energy

At Cawleys, we believe waste isn’t just something to be disposed of, it’s an opportunity to reduce environmental harm, meet regulatory requirements and create commercial benefits for businesses. In this blog, we will discuss how it works, why it matters, and how we support businesses to harness it.

What is Waste to Energy?

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) refers to a range of processes that convert waste materials, particularly residual waste that cannot be recycled into useable forms of energy. This energy might come as electricity, heat, biogas, or fuel. The core idea is simple, instead of sending non-recyclable waste to landfill we must find ways to extract value from it, reducing environmental impact while generating energy.

How Does Waste-to-Energy Work?

There are a number of different technologies involved depending on the type of waste used and energy being produced. Broadly, the process involves:

• Collection and sorting to separate out recyclable and non-recyclable material.

• Treatment of organic / biodegradable waste via processes such as anaerobic digestion (AD).

• Combustion / incineration for residual waste, or conversion to refuse-derived fuel or other energy forms.

• Energy recovery, where the heat, steam or gases produced are converted into electricity, district heating, green gas or similar.

Sorting at a licensed MRF

Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) are critical in ensuring as much recyclable or recoverable material as possible is diverted before waste ever reaches incineration or landfill. At MRF facilities, for example:

• Incoming waste is inspected and non-compliant material is identified and dealt with.

• The sorting process can include different processes such as mechanical screens (trommels), magnets to pull out ferrous metals, ballistic separators, optical sorters, air-knife systems and manual picking. Clean recyclables are baled and residual waste that cannot be recovered is sent onward for energy recovery or appropriate disposal.

This sorting helps ensure that only residual (non-recyclable) waste gets to the energy recovery stage, improving efficiency, reducing emissions, and preserving valuable materials.

Combustion or Anaerobic Digestion

These are two of the main methods for converting waste to energy.

• Combustion/Incineration: The heat generated by burning residual waste at high temperatures enables it to produce steam, drive turbines, generate electricity, or provide district heating. Modern incineration plants also have systems to filter emissions and meet strict environmental permits.

• Anaerobic Digestion (AD): This is a biological process where organic waste (food waste, agricultural waste, some types of biodegradable industrial waste) is broken down by bacteria in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas and digestate (which can be used as a fertiliser or soil conditioner).

Cawleys’ support for food waste recycling via AD

Food waste is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions when sent to landfill and at Cawleys:

• We offer food waste collection services for businesses as part of our commercial waste streams.

• We partner with AD processors to ensure that collected food waste is sent to anaerobic digestion rather than to residual waste or landfill.

• This enables businesses to divert their food waste into a process that produces renewable energy (in the form of biogas) and useful by-products, while reducing their environmental footprint.

Environmental and commercial benefits

• Reduces landfill use and associated methane emissions: Landfill is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Diverting organic and residual waste reduces this risk.

• Recovers energy from otherwise unusable waste: Even waste that cannot be recycled often contains stored energy. Capturing that energy helps offset fossil fuel use.

• Aligns with zero waste to landfill goals: Many businesses and local authorities now have targets to achieve zero or minimal waste to landfill. WtE is an important part of that hierarchy, after reduce, reuse, recycle.

Commercial benefits include:

• Compliance with UK waste regulations: New laws such as Simpler Recycling legislation require businesses to separate food waste, divert recyclable materials, and report on waste. Using WtE helps meet those requirements.

• Potential cost savings on landfill tax: Landfill tax is substantial, so reducing the waste going to landfill, or sending less will often lead to savings.

• Enhanced green credentials for businesses: Demonstrating commitment to sustainability, low carbon operations, and circular economy principles can be a competitive differentiator.

How Cawleys supports waste-to-energy initiatives

At Cawleys, we are committed to being part of a waste and energy future that is responsible, efficient, and sustainable. Some of the ways we contribute include:

• Licensed facilities: Our Waste Transfer Stations and other depots are fully licensed and permitted.

• Separation of recyclables from residual waste: Our operations ensure that recyclable materials are recovered effectively so that only residual waste is sent for energy recovery or other treatment.

• Food waste collection and AD partnerships: We work with anaerobic digestion plants so that organic waste is processed in a way that produces renewable energy and reduces carbon emissions.

• Bespoke solutions: From key account management, waste audits and bespoke collection schedules to providing reporting and compliance support, we work with businesses to help reduce waste, divert more to recycling, and ensure residual waste is handled in the most sustainable way.

Turning waste into energy is not just a technical solution, it represents a smarter, greener, more responsible approach to how we manage our resources. For businesses, it helps with compliance, cost management and reputation. For the environment, it helps reduce landfill usage, cut emissions, and ensure energy does not go to waste.

With our licensed facilities, expertise, food-waste capabilities and flexible service offerings, we help businesses make the change from seeing waste as a obligation to seeing it as an asset.

Get in touch

If your business would like to explore how you can reduce waste, maximise recycling, and contribute to energy recovery in the UK, get in touch and we’ll create a plan tailored to you.