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Testing the gas-yield potential of waste for use as anaerobic digestion feedstock at Amur Energy’s lab in York, UK
AB Agri contributes to more responsible and efficient resource use in agriculture. Any co-products and food waste not suitable for animal feed are used to generate bio-energy through its specialist anaerobic digestion business, Amur.
In 2024, there was a 19% increase in the total waste generated by AB Agri from 5.3 kt in 2023 to 6.3 kt this year. Of this waste, 87% or 5.5 kt was recycled, with under 1 kt being sent to landfill. This increase is partly as a result of two sites cleaning large on-site equipment in the reporting year.
AB Agri’s nutritional expertise ensures the optimal use of various food co-products, such as the fibre-rich pulp from sugar beet production and the nutritious grains left over from brewing beer and whisky.
In 2024, AB Agri used 6.0 kt of packaging, a 20% increase compared to 2023. This increase is in line with higher production output, improvements in the internal reporting of packaging volumes and weights, as well as the introduction of new product lines requiring different packaging materials. This year, AB Agri also measured its packaging usage across its UK businesses and it is now evolving this data to incorporate all of its non-UK businesses so that it can establish a global view of the packaging used.
AB Agri remains committed to eliminating, reducing or redesigning the packaging it uses for its products. It has successfully conducted trials aimed at transitioning towards using recycled-content plastic packaging. Changes have been implemented across some of its UK businesses, such as using recycled materials in shrink wrap, tote bags, and plastic tubs within Premier Nutrition's equine range.
AB Agri has been mapping its packaging data to gain a precise understanding of its packaging usage and enable the identification of opportunities for improvement. This analysis has helped to set internal targets at business unit level aimed at reducing overall packaging use and increasing the volume of recycled plastic content.
Quantity of packaging used
(000 tonnes)
Total waste generated highlighting proportion of total waste sent for recycling or other beneficial use
(000 tonnes)
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Colleague testing feedstock sample at Amur Energy lab in York, UK
AB Agri’s anaerobic digestion (AD) business, Amur, helps AD operators increase biogas production through performance products, feedstocks and technical advice. By maximising value from raw materials that would otherwise go to waste, Amur contributes to waste reduction and reuse, as well as reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Amur uses AB Agri’s AD facility in Yorkshire as a test site for its research and development. The site produces biogas from materials, including locally sourced food waste and material from animal feed mill sites that have failed to meet quality control standards. In the reporting year, the AD facility has produced 3.6 GWh of electricity and 30.8 GWh of biogas, which has been exported to the UK National Grid. Due to the lack of available feedstock during the reporting period, the amount of biogas exported in 2024 has decreased by 19%.
Amur continues to invest in developing new products to increase biogas production and replace currently used minerals and additives with materials that have a reduced environmental footprint. One example is the ADFe additive, an iron hydroxide-rich material sourced from disused coal mines in partnership with the British Coal Authority. ADFe is a recovered material and has a lower carbon footprint compared to other similar dry materials, as it is dried naturally in the sun rather than through energy-intensive methods. Iron hydroxide is an essential additive to manage hydrogen sulphide levels in biogas facilities. In trials, ADFe has been shown to be 30% more effective than conventional products.
Packaging product at our manufacturing site in Staffordshire, UK
Several years ago, AB Agri’s business Premier Nutrition undertook a project to find and implement more sustainable packaging solutions for its equine product range. The project initially focused on its largest equine customer as a pilot.
During a comprehensive review of all packaging product lines, it was discovered that 40% of the plastic packaging used was in the form of plastic tubs and lids. The business worked with its supplier to successfully trial and implement an alternative with 30% recycled plastic content, leading to a significant reduction in the use of new plastic.
The success of this project inspired Premier Nurtition to explore other opportunities for improvement, resulting in 30% recycled content now being used in other types of packaging, such as tote bags and shrink wrap. This positive change extended beyond its Premier Nutrition business, benefiting other AB Agri businesses as well. The knowledge and experience gained from this initiative have led to ongoing trials on plastic bags, which constitute the majority of packaging used across AB Agri.
