Groundbreaking project to create circular economy from organic waste

Published 8 February 2024

We are proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with visionary environmental consultants Tumblebug, on a six-month pilot project to transform all our organic waste into a self-sustaining circular ecosystem.

The project, to be known as the The Country Estate Carbon Demonstrator Project, is the first of its kind in the UK and will see us adopt pioneering practices to unlock the value of our organic waste (food, coffee, compostable packaging, card, manure, green horticultural waste, forestry waste and sheep wool) using Ecobot machines and Tumblebug’s patented biochar filter process.

We will trial two Ecobots, which will transform all our organic waste into dry, sanitised, odour-free and nutrient-rich material, which can be used directly as a soil conditioner, an additive for compost, or as an ingredient for organic fertiliser production.

The project, which is being funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is seen as a potential blueprint which the UK’s 6,000 other landed estates could adopt to achieve their own sustainability targets.

Roy Cox, Managing Director – Estates at Blenheim Palace, commented:

“To become a net zero business by 2027 means we must look at every part of our operations and reduce our emissions, and we see this project as a major step towards achieving that, as well as creating circular businesses from our waste. It is vital that we work with partners like Tumblebug, and together we will find the best mix, or model, that is transferrable to other businesses who face similar challenges.”

← Back to News

A stainless steel Tumblebug Ecobot food-waste machine with a feed tray and control panel

The project will also see the creation of an organic mushroom farm on our Estate, as well as the trialling of pyrolysis carbon removal technology, which will turn organic waste from the Estate into carbon-rich biochar, heat and power, which has a myriad of uses including as a core ingredient in Tumblebug’s peat-free carbon negative growing medium; as a cover or mixer in manure management to reduce ammonia emissions and to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus run off into surface water.

If successful, the pilot Country Estate Carbon Demonstrator Project will be further developed and adopted to accelerate Blenheim Estate’s Net Zero pledge.

Three blocks of growing medium sprouting grey, white and pink oyster mushrooms

Tumblebug Founder and CEO, Sylvie Verinder remarked:

“Tumblebug was founded to demonstrate to the world that we must, and can, go beyond sustainability to create a regenerative economy. We are honoured to be given the opportunity to demonstrate our Recover - Rotate - Regenerate circular economy model at this prestigious UNESCO World Heritage site. We look forward to building the human-centred design project and delivering the carbon data evidence of its impact with the incredible Blenheim Team.”