Sustainability

Sustainability that's built in, not bolted on.

Karma Kitchen currently operates at 40% zero-carbon power, with a clear path to 80% over the next ten years. Every site we build reuses existing structures, limits new materials, and is managed to reduce waste at every level. Here's what that looks like in practice.

Because the process is fully enclosed, there is no exposed waste — which eliminates the odour and pest problems that come with traditional waste storage. For the operator, the change is simple: waste goes into the machine rather than into a bin.

Waste

Food businesses generate significant waste. We've built the infrastructure to handle it properly.

Our sites run Power Knot LFC biodigesters — aerobic digesters that break food waste down on site rather than collecting it and sending it somewhere else to be dealt with. Food waste is loaded into a sealed chamber where micro-organisms and enzyme blends break it down with oxygen over roughly 24 hours, reducing it to greywater discharged safely to the sewer. No bins waiting to be collected. No lorry journeys. No methane from landfill decomposition.

Most sustainability claims are statements of intent. Here's what actually happens to the waste, the oil and the energy.

Every unit connects to the LFC Cloud, which records how much waste has been digested by hour, day, week, month and year, and converts that into the CO2 equivalent diverted from landfill. That data is measured, not estimated, and we can supply it per site and per tenant for your own carbon reporting.

Cooking oil is collected by Quatra and processed into low-carbon biofuel — HVO and sustainable aviation fuel — cutting CO2 emissions by up to 87% compared with the fossil fuels they replace. Grease trap waste is collected by Can Drainage and processed into paraffin. A disposal cost becomes a feedstock.

General waste is managed through high-capacity front-end loaders at all sites. Recycling is provided and compressors are available at larger locations to manage volume efficiently.

Energy

Karma Kitchen is electric only. All kitchen equipment across every site runs on electricity rather than gas.

This was a deliberate decision, and it matters more over time than it does today.

A gas-fired kitchen burns fossil fuel on site. Its emissions are fixed by the fuel — the same in 2035 as they are today. An electric kitchen's emissions are determined by the grid it draws from. The UK grid has been decarbonising steadily for over a decade and will continue to do so. The practical consequence for an operator is that your production emissions fall over time without you doing anything — no capital project, no equipment replacement, no change to how you work. A gas kitchen cannot do that.

We use air source heat pumps rather than gas boilers for water heating and temperature control. EV charging is provided at all six sites for operators running their own distribution vehicles.

Electricity rates across the portfolio range from 18.09p to 22.79p per KWh, negotiated in bulk and significantly below the market average. That saving passes directly to our partners.

We currently operate at 40% zero-carbon power, with a clear path to 80% over the next ten years.

Embodied carbon

The carbon in a building's structure and materials is often overlooked. We don't overlook it.

Every commercial kitchen built from scratch carries embodied carbon — emissions locked into concrete, steel, ductwork, refrigerant and fit-out materials, all released before a single meal is produced. It is a substantial one-off cost, and it is almost never included when a food business calculates its footprint.

Every Karma Kitchen site is built within an existing structure. We do not demolish and rebuild. We reuse building structures wherever possible and limit new material usage. Where new materials are required we use green alternatives — basalt rebar instead of steel, green cement, reduced plastics. And because our infrastructure serves multiple operators rather than one, the embodied carbon of each site is spread across every tenant rather than loaded onto a single business.

The most sustainable production kitchen is usually not the newest or best specified. It is the one that already exists and is being used properly.

Community

We believe the people who work in our kitchens deserve great working environments.

Every site is designed with natural light, colour and comfortable communal areas. Rest and break areas are built into each site. Prayer rooms are included where space allows.

Our sites are staffed and active during business hours, with a community of food businesses working alongside you. We operate a safe, secure environment with 24-hour access, CCTV and individual unit locks — designed for the people who work in them, not just the businesses that occupy them.

Want to understand the mechanics in more detail?

Read: What actually happens to the waste →

Want to know more about our sustainability commitments or how they might support your own ESG reporting?

Speak to the team