Darlington's leftovers are already doing a second job.
More than 530 tonnes of food waste have been collected and recycled across the borough in the first 12 weeks since household collections began on 2 June.
Instead of being sent to landfill, the material travels to Bio Capital's Warrens Emerald facility at Newton Aycliffe. There it is inspected and processed using anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break the waste down inside an oxygen-free tank.
The process produces biogas which can be turned into lower-carbon energy for homes and businesses through the national grid. It also produces compressed natural gas for vehicles, while the remaining material becomes a nutrient-rich biofertiliser for farmland.
Darlington Borough Council has released a video showing residents what happens after their food caddies are collected, part of an effort to make the new system less of a black box and encourage more households to take part.
The council says even small amounts make a difference. Its example is pleasingly ordinary: recycling six teabags can generate enough energy to boil a kettle for another cuppa.
The scheme means something once treated purely as rubbish is now feeding three different loops locally: energy, transport fuel and agriculture.
: Darlington Borough Council. More information about the food waste scheme and the council's process video is available from the original story.