Food Scraps to Green Energy

Accessible version: http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/features/foodtoenergy/
Food waste is the second largest portion of garbage going into landfills in the United States, accounting for over 30 million tons each year. Food Scraps are one of the most important materials to divert from landfills as they decompose to create methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to climate change. In order to decrease food waste and mitigate global warming, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is pioneering an innovative method of taking food scraps from restaurants and commercial food processors and using them as a valuable commodity to produce green renewable energy through anaerobic digestion, with the remains going to compost.

For more about EPA: http://www.epa.gov/

We accept comments according to our comment policy: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/comment-policy/

Disclaimer: The U.S. Government does not promote or endorse any non-Government or commercial content appearing on this page.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• US
• EPA
• United
• States
• Environmental
• Protection
• Agency
• food
• waste
• scraps
• renewable
• energy
• anaerobic
• digester
• digestion
• methane
• biogas
• greenhouse
• gas
• climate
• change
• garbage
• reuse
• conservation
• compost
• restaurants
• recycle
• fertilizer
• biodigester
• biomethane
• global
• warming

[bdbdthatsallfolks]

can this process be scaled down for home use to power a small appliance (lol maybe even itself) I would then use the soil in my garden.

[HorizSvcs]

Waste that does not go waste! The East Bay Municipal Utility District has shown the way; now it is up to others to follow suit.

[abson1234]

Green food, drinking green or whatever, right tea......vitamines.....water..­.makes plenty of enegery...interesting.

It's a wonder....

[Darkwizzrobe]

You could just burn the trash instead of going through the whole convert to methane to get the energy

[HomeworkHelper1]

The thing is the EPA is paying them to create methane. So it's just creating the same problem. Proper composting, or aerobic composting produces no methane. Also, burning methane produces carbon dioxide, water, and just a little bit of carbon monoxide. These are the same things a car produces, yet the EPA rewards businesses for doing this, and chastises people for driving cars. Isn't that counter-intuitive?

[kendallgaia]

If your apt building units include food waste disposers - aka garbage disposers - you're already connected to this service. Food scraps pulverized by disposer end up being processed into energy and fertilizer at EBMUD, without having to be collected/transported in trucks, with all the convenience of having it immediately disappear.

[Bruce537]

About time someone explained this technology to us - and about time someone started to use it!

[ecoirishone]

video is v. cool

[catcherbren]

Cool, with the budget crisis looming and our dependence on foreign oil still painful we need every scrap of cheap energy we can get.

[Orthanc2113]

Wow! Excellent video which really gives a complete picture of an innovative technology! Very forward looking!