Eco- Friendly Solutions For Sheppy’s Cider Farm

How Sheppy’s Cider Farm are sustainably recycling food waste

Sheppy’s Cider Farm is a 200-year-old family business and working cider farm. As well as producing award winning cider has a shop including, deli and cheesemonger, and a café, restaurant and bar on site.

Keen to recycle food waste sustainably, Sheppy’s Cider began using the PRM Waste Systems Bio-Processor in its restaurant and café over 4 years ago. Easy to use, and cost effective, the Bio-Processor breaks unavoidable waste down into a soil enricher using oxygen and microbes (friendly bugs). It reduces waste volume by up to 80% in 24 hours. This means that the requirement for waste collection is reduced significantly – 1 collection instead of 5. And if the nutrient rich end product is used on site this entirely eliminates collections

Louisa Sheppy, director at Sheppy’s Cider explains; “The end residue resembles coffee grounds and has a fairly pleasant smell. It works especially well for us as we farm and can put the waste back on the land once broken down a bit and mixed with the manure. We all like the fact that this ends up on the farm and spread on the land.”

As well as recycling food waste the Bio-Processor can handle other organic waste, such as garden waste and plant based packaging.

Talking about the benefits to Sheppy’s Cider, Louisa Sheppy said; “The biggest and most noticeable difference to the staff is the absence of smelly food waste bins, but the value to the business is a reduction in food waste costs.

“Any food waste from the kitchen goes in the Bio-Processor. All of this would previously have gone in food waste bins. The whole concept and the way the machine functions quite excites the staff. Everyone cares about it, fondly knowing it as “The Muncher”, which could never be said about food waste!”

For those keen to track and report on the impact of their recycling and waste efforts, the Bio-Processor comes with access to an online reporting portal. Customers can log in and see the waste volume reductions they’ve achieved and how much they’ve reduced carbon emissions. Many organisations like to share this information with increasingly sustainability aware customers. It also helps set commercial targets and can provide a comparison between different cafés, restaurants and sites.

Find out more about the PRM Bio-Processor here: www.prmwastesystems.com/equipment/bio-processors/