Food waste could soon power half the shipping industry

It begins quietly, under crates of bruised apples and spoiled yogurt in the rear of a refrigerated truck. Most would describe it as trash. However, the vehicle that is transporting it to its next destination is increasingly being powered by that decomposing mixture. With remarkably successful results, what was once dumped in landfills is now being refined into renewable gas to assist fleets in moving away from diesel.

This strategy is already being used by retail behemoths like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s. Nearly half of the delivery trucks at one of Sainsbury’s central depots are now powered by biomethane made solely from food waste. The change is remarkably similar to the initial solar panel installation at grocery stores—not just nice to look at, but actually useful.

This method significantly lowers emissions while providing fuel that is both renewable and surprisingly inexpensive by capturing methane before it escapes from decomposing waste. Anaerobic digestion, the mechanism underlying it, breaks down food waste in the absence of oxygen. After that, the gas is transformed into biomethane, which is chemically comparable to fossil gas but much cleaner.

I once witnessed a delivery truck arrive at a Waitrose loading dock; it was remarkably silent and did not emit a strong diesel odor. The scene had a looped logic because it was known that it had been powered by unsold produce from its previous trip. It had a sense of being both futuristic and long overdue.

A single metric ton of food waste produces enough biomethane to power a long-distance truck for roughly 250 kilometers. When you multiply that by the size of industrial food systems, the math becomes especially useful for logistics firms trying to meet sustainability goals without completely changing their operations.

Given the constant energy requirements of refrigerated transportation, this is particularly true. These cars use as much fuel to move their loads as they do to cool them. In a single, highly effective step, they reduce costs and emissions by substituting biomethane, particularly from food waste, for diesel.

However, maritime shipping is only now starting to investigate similar applications, while road transport is already demonstrating the viability of this model. Heavy fuel oil is currently used by cargo ships, which are frequently held responsible for some of the world’s most polluting emissions. It will require a complete rethinking of onboard systems to transition them, not just engine retrofitting.

Early research is looking into whether ships could use small waste-to-energy systems to process food and packaging waste on board. Theoretically, they could produce enough energy to run auxiliary engines, refrigeration, or lighting. However, that is still more conceptual than commercial at this time.

Through onboard waste processing, engineers have modeled scenarios in which mid-size vessels could meet their non-propulsion energy needs for ten to fifteen days. Although technically possible, there is a significant logistical challenge. There are difficulties with handling safety, storage, and maritime regulations.

However, there is still reason for optimism. Food waste has the potential to be converted into marine fuel, especially for harbor services or coastal vessels. Ports could serve as hubs for ship refueling with locally produced biomethane if the necessary infrastructure is in place. Just that might change the dynamics of regional transportation to a more sanitary, circular model.

Some contend that this is merely a temporary solution. Burning biomethane still releases carbon. But the point is lost in that criticism. This method produces a net benefit by capturing methane that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere unburned. Unlike ammonia or hydrogen, which are still scaling, it is readily available and significantly better than diesel.

Quick wins are important in light of the growing urgency surrounding climate change. Though not flawless, biomethane is practical. It turns what is already being thrown away into something incredibly useful. No new mining, no technological revolution, just a reconsideration of what fuel is.

Adoption is steadily increasing thanks to strategic alliances between fleet operators, retailers, and energy suppliers. In a curiously poetic turn of events, supermarket chains are now using the same supply chain to feed both people and trucks, transforming inefficiency into innovation.

And there’s something very obvious about its allure. A loop is closed. It lowers emissions. It makes use of current technology. It provides a scalable method for mid-sized businesses and local governments to meet emission targets without relying on cutting-edge solutions.

More significantly, it serves as a reminder that answers frequently come from unexpected sources, such as a spoiled milk carton or the dumpster behind a grocery store. The fuel of the future might already be right in front of us if food waste can move a truck and maybe even a container ship in the future.

A layered transformation could be observed by carefully integrating these systems into regional transportation networks, one port, one city, and one fleet at a time. To be revolutionary, something doesn’t have to be loud.

Think about this the next time you scrape your plate or throw away an expired sandwich: that waste could one day power a dock or a truck. Reducing loss is not the only goal. It’s about finding energy in the unexpected. And that change, no matter how subtle, may be driving shipping’s future.