POV: You Turn Your Cookie Crumbs Into Renewable Energy
Fancypants Baking Co.’s recent Instagram Reels video went viral, now having over a million views! This short clip showcased their Farm Powered® food waste recycling tubs that were filled with inedible cookie pieces and crumbles. We at Vanguard Renewables could not be prouder of our partnership with Fancypants—and are so glad their sustainability efforts are gaining recognition.
Fancypants is highly responsible with their food waste. Bits of food, such as cookie crumbles, that are deemed unsaleable, but still edible, are donated to feed the needy. However, some of their unsaleable food bits can’t be eaten, like items that may have fallen on the ground during the production process. That is where our Farm Powered process comes in, ensuring that the inedible food waste is used for the highest purpose possible.
Our Farm Powered process starts when Fancypants fills tubs with bits of unsaleable and inedible baked goods, such as the ones in their video. We collect their food waste and bring it to one of our Farm Powered anaerobic digesters, where it is mixed with food waste from other local manufacturers and dairy cow manure from our farm partners. This organic waste goes through anaerobic digestion, a process that we sequester, and which yields biogas. At our Massachusetts facilities, where Fancypants’ waste currently goes, this biogas is converted into renewable electricity. In Vermont and at our future projects, this biogas becomes renewable natural gas. Regardless, this renewable energy goes on to power equipment, homes, and businesses nearby.
Learn more about Fancypants and their deliciously sustainable cookies here.
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Gabriel McCollester, Vanguard Renewables
