Ipswich Town Football Club has teamed up with a local green energy provider to turn fans’ food waste into heat for homes.

The Blues’ Championship home fixture against Brighton on Saturday is being dubbed an ‘Eco Match’, with all food waste from the day used to create green energy while highlighting the low carbon record of the club.

The ‘Eco Match’ is being led by Adam Bensusan, commercial manager at Bio Group. The company, led by Suffolk entrepreneur Steve Sharratt OBE, designed, constructed and operates the Adnams Bio energy plant in Southwold.

Food waste from the brewery owner’s pubs and other local businesses, hotels, restaurants and schools is converted into biomethane which is then used as eco-friendly ‘green’ gas for the national grid.

“Adnams Bio Energy is delighted to be working with Ipswich Town with their excellent green track record.” said Mr Bensusan, who is also a life-long Ipswich Town supporter.

“The aim of the ‘Eco Match’ is to show that together we are making a real difference to the environment and Ipswich’s great fans can play a part in that.”

In 2007, Ipswich Town Football Club, working with Eon, Ipswich Borough Council and CRed, became the UK’s first carbon neutral club. The accolade came after over 3,000 fans pledged 14,000 energy efficiency savings for their home.

The club has worked hard to minimize energy use and develop good practices, including installing a building management system which only provides power to rooms when they are in use, fitting low energy light bulbs and ensuring that catering fridges are emptied and turned off between games.

Ipswich Town’s business partnership manager Lynn Warner said they were “delighted” to host the event.

“We are proud of our environmental record here at Ipswich Town where we recycle almost 80% of all our waste and were recognised as a carbon neutral club in 2007,” she said.

“We’re delighted to be working with Adnams Bio Energy in the recycling of our food waste and would encourage other companies to do the same.”

As part of the day, there will be ‘Eco Match’ coverage in the match day programme, information for fans on how their places of work can have their business waste taken to Adnams Bio Energy, free giveaways for children as well as a competition where someone can win a night for two at the Swan Hotel in Southwold, two tickets to an Ipswich Town home game including lunch for two at the Centre Spot restaurant and a tour of Adnams’ award-winning eco brewery.

“Adnams Bio Energy uses food waste from business across Suffolk and through a process called Anaerobic Digestion turns that waste into green gas which is enough to run a family car four million miles,” Mr Bensusan said.

“We are working with business, including Ipswich Town FC and with others, large and small, to remove their food waste, enabling them to meet their environmental responsibilities.”

The Ipswich Town Football Club and Bio Group ‘Eco Match’ will be part of the home fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion at Portman Road on Saturday 1 October 2011.