A community project in east London is testing an unusual way of turning household food waste into energy. At R-Urban Poplar, an ecology hub on the Teviot Estate, food scraps collected from nearby residents are processed through a community-scale anaerobic digester to produce biogas. The gas can then be used to power a community sauna at the site. Project organisers describe it as the world’s first community-powered sauna of its kind, although the claim has not been independently established. The sauna remains in its testing phase, with full operation expected later in 2026. The experiment is part of a wider effort to create a local circular system linking food waste, energy production and urban food growing.
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