Tamar Foods, which manufactures hot and cold pies and hand-crimped pasties, has signed a contract with Convert2Green for its waste oil to be collected weekly from its site in Callington, Cornwall, and recycled into high-quality bio-fuel, which reduces carbon emissions by up to 90%. 

The move will lead to carbon savings of 26,420 kilograms of CO2 per annum – equivalent to driving 77,478 miles in a petrol car.

'We produce thousands of litres of waste cooking oil per annum – which might otherwise go to landfill and may even cause environmental problems,' said Thomas Parrott, health & safety and environment officer, Tamar Foods.

'Working on a waste oil to energy recycling initiative enables us to achieve a number of key environmental objectives which makes the most sense from a food manufacturer's point of view.'

The bio-diesel will be used to fuel generators in public buildings such as the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust.

Convert2Green also works in partnership with other key clients in the food and hospitality industry, including Robinson's pubs and Cygnet Foods, to reduce their carbon emissions and cut costs.

'It's great that food manufacturers think about the disposal of waste cooking oil as it's used in large quantities by food manufacturers such as Tamar. By allowing Convert2Green to refine it, the waste to energy cycle passes on carbon savings through the supply chain,' said Deb Webb, business development manager, Convert2Green.

'Many of our customers find that initiatives of this kind are giving them a real competitive edge in the marketplace, as buyers are looking to their supply chain to provide real carbon savings through their procurement strategies.'