North America's fourth largest potato processorCavendish Farmslast week opened a $17 million bio-gas facility in New Annan, Prince Edward Island, Canada. While most facilities treat waste water produced from processing, the New Annan site will take solid waste material and -- through anaerobic digestion -- will convert it to energy for Cavendish's two nearby plants.

"The investment in this new technology benefits our environment while being financially beneficial to our business model. It is a true win-win for Prince Edward Island," said Robert Irving, Cavendish Farms president.

Officials said the new facility "marks the single biggest reduction in greenhouse gases on the Island." They said the new facility will help achieve: a 30-35 percent reduction in overall carbon footprint for the potato plants; reduced dependence on fossil fuel to power the processing plants' boilers; fewer trucks required to bring fuel to the plant; as well as the elimination of trucks to remove potato waste from the plant.

Cavendish Farms is a unit of Canada's J.D. Irving Ltd., Saint John, New Brunswick.