There is now global agreement that we are in a climate emergency. The UN has declared it a potential threat to millions of lives, the UK Government has announced ambitious goals to combat it and two thirds of the UK population believe that we face a climate emergency.
Food waste is estimated to be responsible for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, so the food industry has a key role to play in ensuring that we meet the UN’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5°c above pre-industrial levels.
Olleco, the renewables arm of ABP Food Group, has been working with food businesses of every size to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for over a decade and the new vehicle livery is designed to educate people about the critical role that we and our customers are playing in addressing the climate emergency.
Watch our launch video here.
How Olleco’s services are combatting the climate emergency.
Our Cooking Oil Recovery Teams collects used cooking oil to be converted into high quality biodiesel which is used to reduce traffic carbon emissions by up to 86%.
By delivering fresh oils in the same vehicles that collect used cooking oil, Olleco reduces carbon miles by 50%.
Meanwhile Olleco’s Food Waste Recovery Teams collects food waste, diverting it from landfill. This is hugely significant for global warming because food waste in landfill emits methane – a greenhouse gas up to 36 times more potent than CO₂.
The food waste Olleco collects is diverted to anaerobic digestion plants where the methane is captured and used to make renewable energy.
The residual organic matter is then deployed as natural, sustainable fertilisers which help farmers reduce their reliance on chemical alternatives which are also contributing to the growing climate crisis.
The vehicles carrying the new livery have been carefully selected to have the lowest emissions practically possible and are fitted with the cleanest new Euro 6 engines.
Telling the world what food businesses are doing to Serve the Planet
The new livery is a reminder to existing Olleco customers that they are doing a great deal to defend our planet from disaster. It also alerts other food businesses to the impact they can have by working with Olleco. But, perhaps most importantly, it is educating consumers about the importance of how food waste and used cooking oil are treated and how their favourite food companies are working to tackle the climate emergency.
Robert Behan, CEO of Olleco, said: “We are a company that does business by doing good and carbon reduction lies at the very heart of our corporate goals. If everyone in the UK entrusted us with their food waste and cooking oil, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 3.5 million cars from the roads or creating a forest the size of Scotland.
In a climate of fear and concern about global warming, it is important to deliver reassurance that something can be done to solve the problems we face. Our new livery is designed to educate people about what we are doing and help them understand how we can all work together to avert a global catastrophe.”