Clément Barbaux

Despite generating large volumes of biowaste and high-strength wastewater, many food and beverage (F&B) companies still treat these streams purely as a cost. This leaves significant energy, carbon, and economic value untapped. Driven by a favourable policy environment around circularity and bioenergy, rising and volatile energy costs, and mounting pressure to reduce dependence on natural gas, F&B companies are rethinking how they manage their biowaste.

Energy consumption and cost have become some of the most visible line items in the Food & Beverage sector’s operating costs. In an environment where margins are already under pressure, rising energy and carbon costs, along with volatility in energy markets, are creating an additional layer of unpredictability. Many companies built their decarbonisation strategies with the primary goal of reaching net zero ambitions. But in today’s context, the decarbonisation agenda is often being reframed.

Post Date 11 November 2025 Read Time 12 minutes The landscape for decarbonisation has never been more dynamic. On the one hand, COP30 is approaching, and the European Union’s CBAM is set to enter its definitive phase on January 1, 2026. On the other hand, political priorities shift, public sentiment around sustainability can swing, and even some major players have altered their positions in recent years.