I'm really not sure what to make of this. It seems logical not to waste old meat, it should be done, but there is something creepy about it.
Row over plan to use unsold meat for power
A supermarket plan to use out-of-date meat to help power thousands of homes was described as 'macabre' by animal rights activists yesterday.
Non-meat eaters would be horrified to know that their electricity was being produced by the method - known as anaerobic digestion - according to Vegetarians International Voice for Animals.
The group spoke out after supermarkets and power company United Utilities showed off the renewable energy system, which the group said could cut greenhouse gas emission by keeping organic waste out of landfill sites.
Any environmental benefits of recycling the meat rather than sending it to landfill were far outweighed by the greenhouse gases produced by rearing more meat than was needed in the first place, Viva said.
Anaerobic digestion uses micro-organisms to break down waste and generate a biogas which can then be used as an energy source for heat, power and transport. The process has been used in the water industry for decades.
Sainsbury's, which started using anaerobic digestion for its food waste last year, said it could generate enough energy to power a town of 20,000 people and reduce the amount of food waste it sends to landfill by 56,000 tonnes a year.
Retailers generate about 1.6 million tonnes of food waste each year, including meat, with food manufacturers throwing away 4.1 million tonnes and restaurants and other outlets another 3 million.
