Ginsters: Cost effective

Ginsters of Cornwall has signed up to have its waste collected from its Callington plant and added to all the farm slurry being turned into electricity at Holsworthy Biogas.

The plant, one of the first of its kind in the UK, will process about 10 tonnes of waste from Ginsters every week.

Ginsters has had to buy new equipment to filter the waste first before it can be turned into green energy at the plant 25 miles away.

Holsworthy Biogas Slurry from local farms is fermented to release methane This powers turbines to generate electricity The heat generated is used in local schools and offices The process also kills viruses and weed seeds 'Cleaned' slurry is returned to local farmers as fertiliser

But the firm, which makes �180m worth of pasties, pies and other pastry products a year, reckons it is money well spent.

Larry File of Ginsters, said: "The project was looked at long and hard, but in the end it wasn't a difficult choice.

"Not only is this project of benefit environmentally, but it is also proving a very cost-effective way of dealing with waste, and are actually reducing our costs."

The Holsworthy plant is one of 16 similar plants either generating or under construction in the UK.

Charles Clarke, operator of the system at Holsworthy, said: "This decision by Ginsters should be an example to other food producers."