The British operator Greater Anglia has recycled over 100,000 kg of food waste across its network over the past year, as part of sustainability measures implemented at stations, depots, and on trains.
Data for the period April 2025 – March 2026 shows that 104,000 kg of food waste was collected and diverted from disposal, a significant increase from 23,900 kg in the previous reporting period.
The announcement was made on the occasion of International Day of Action Against Food Waste, an initiative that draws attention to food waste and promotes more sustainable practices.
Waste from stations, trains, and depots
The increase in the amount recycled follows the introduction of the UK’s Simpler Recycling regulations for workplaces in England in March 2025, as well as improvements to waste collection at Greater Anglia stations and depots.
Food waste comes from several sources, including station shops and food outlets, catering services, depot kitchens, as well as items left on trains or on platforms.
The operator has introduced new food waste collection bins in station and depot kitchen areas for employees. Larger 240-liter containers have been installed at busier stations and unstaffed stations.
The waste is collected and sorted by Carlisle Support Services, Greater Anglia’s partner.
Converted into biogas and biofertilizer
All collected food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion, a process in which organic material is broken down in an oxygen-free environment. The result is the production of renewable energy in the form of biogas, as well as biofertilizer.
According to Greater Anglia, much of this waste would previously have been incinerated.
“We are committed to reducing waste and improving recycling across our entire network, and the fact that we’ve seen such a significant increase over the past year is encouraging,” said Nir Barak, sustainability manager at Greater Anglia.
He added that the new measures allow both passengers and employees to dispose of food waste responsibly. “I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this progress,” said Nir Barak.
Rachel Marsden, Head of Sustainability and Social Value at Carlisle Support Services, said the result is significant for an operational network of this size.
“In large operational environments, food waste is often overlooked; this makes the 100,000 kg reduction achieved by Greater Anglia a remarkable achievement.
It demonstrates what is possible when sustainability is integrated into the daily operations of the rail network,” said Rachel Marsden.
According to her, Carlisle is proud to work alongside Greater Anglia to support a more sustainable future.
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