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Contaminated chocolate should be turned into biofuel not buried - UEL researcher

Monday 26 June 2006

The 250-tonne ‘mountain’ of chocolate recalled by Cadbury should be burned as a biofuel to generate useful energy, rather than consigned to landfill, according to a researcher at the University of East London.

Gavin Harper, an MSc student who has already published several books including Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius, said: “It is unfortunate that rather than being viewed as a potentially valuable source of energy, this consignment of chocolate is being earmarked for disposal by landfill."

The 1 million bars of chocolate, with a mass estimated as equivalent to 33 double-decker buses, contain some 5,500 Giga-joules of energy, which is equivalent to 1,530,000 Kilowatt Hours, enough to run 1.5 million electric fires for an hour, or to provide domestic power to a town the size of Dorking for over a week.

Harper, a student on the MSc Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies programme at the University of East London (UEL), has made the calculations in a paper submitted for publication, and claims that as well as generating energy, the process will save money for the company and help reduce the impact on the environment.

The paper briefly examines the alternatives to landfill – and the possibility that energy could be extracted from the waste chocolate by co-firing in Energy from Municipal Solid Waste Power Stations.

“Despite the high embodied energy content of the chocolate as a result of the processing that went into its production – if it could be classed as a Biofuel then it could be eligible for Renewables Obligation Certificates when burnt, which could be offset against potential losses suffered by Cadbury as a result of the recall.”

Darryl Newport, Director of the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of East London, said: “Much of the waste that currently goes to landfill could profitably be reprocessed. If we are to achieve our targets on carbon emissions, we need to come up with sustainable alternatives and this means thinking about all kinds of reusable resource, however unlikely the source.”

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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