One of the largest facilities in the south for dealing with food waste has been officially opened in Dorset.
The biogas plant at Eco Sustainable Solution’s Parley site can handle over 50,000 tonnes of food waste every year from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and surrounding areas.
Costing just under £20 million, the facility creates biomethane which is fed directly into the local gas network at the rate of 900 cubic metres an hour, the equivalent of nine double-decker buses. The gas is enough to heat around 7,000 homes.
Planning permission was granted more than a decade ago and construction started in 2024.
The plant, which sits in the heart of the company’s 40-acre Eco Park, created 50 construction jobs and has six full-time operators. It was commissioned earlier this year.
Simon Boyd, Vice-President of Dorset Chamber and also Managing Director of Christchurch-based REIDsteel, officially opened the new anaerobic digestion facility.
He said: “I was absolutely stunned by what this plant can do. Being someone who gets rid of their food waste each week then seeing that it can go back into a system that generates gas that can go into the grid and supply up to 7,000 homes with heating is a phenomenal achievement.
“I really do think that Justin [Dampney, Managing Director] and the team here have done a fantastic job and it’s a credit to not just this business but the whole county. When I give feedback to Dorset Chamber, I will say that it’s one of the most outstanding businesses in Dorset.
“It’s critical that we invest in businesses. I’m a great believer in business being a force for good. Not only does it generate employment but it does wonders for the environment.
“This couldn’t come at a better time because we need a mix of energy. This energy resource works 24 hours a day whether the wind blows or not or the sun shines or not. It’s a really good addition to that mix that we need to get as a country so that we can bring down the energy costs that are affecting all businesses.”
Justin Dampney, Eco’s Managing Director, said: “The official opening of our new biogas facility marks a significant milestone in Eco’s 30-year history and is a proud achievement for everyone involved.
“This facility, which has been developed as a response to the Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms, operates around the clock and has the capacity to recycle more than 1,000 tonnes of food waste every week. This material is transformed into renewable biomethane injected into the gas network, along with a nutrient-rich biofertiliser, for agriculture; both are particularly useful given the current climate.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in its design, construction and now operation of the facility. No one ever compromised on safety or design, and the result is a world-class facility that we can all be extremely proud of – and one that will serve our region for decades to come.”
Eco Sustainable Solutions began life 31 years ago as a small green waste composting operation with two people and a pitchfork and has grown to a business employing 53 and an annual turnover in excess of £20 million.
In 2025 the organic recycling and renewable energy company prevented over 120,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from entering the atmosphere by diverting waste from landfill.
Since Eco began trading it has recycled more than 4.3 million tonnes of organic material, preventing over 2m tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) from being emitted to the atmosphere.
The company, which has sites at Parley, Piddlehinton and Weymouth, recycles green, wood, road sweepings and food waste for both BCP Council and Dorset Council among many other contracts.
Mr Boyd said: “The Parley site has changed out of all recognition since I was last here many years ago. I’m blown away by the size of the site for a start.
“But what I was really impressed by was the health and safety. I’ve walked around an immaculate site that’s dealing with some of the worst gooey waste that you can possibly ask to deal with. The way that they are handling it is second to none.
“The latest technology, how the controls work, how they get all the stuff out that you don’t want to go back into the food chain is amazing really.”
Clients, contractors and councillors were given guided tours of the new biogas facility following the official opening.
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Picture caption: Simon Boyd, Vice President, Dorset Chamber (third from left), and Justin Dampney, Eco’s Managing Director, turn a valve to symbolically mark gas from Eco’s new biogas facility entering the grid.
