A organic waste recycling centre will be providing food processors to collect and convert waste disposal into renewable gas.
US-based Clean World Partners and Atlas Disposal Industries organic waste recycling centre will be completing its expansion later this year and will begin to convert 25 tonnes of food waste each day into renewable gas.
The recycling centre will eventually change the waste into renewable energy, fertiliser and soil enhancements and could potentially divert nearly 37,000 tonnes of waste each year from landfill.
A spokesperson for the recycling centre said: “It provides processors with an alternative use for the waste that will generate electricity, compressed natural gas that will fuel collection fleets and perhaps also transportation fleets associated with processors transportation needs”.
The upgrade is being constructed and is expected to accept materials in late July or August and generate fuels later on in the year.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) provided a $6m grant in order to expand the south area transfer station; making it the largest commercial-scale, high solids anaerobic digestion (AD) system in the US.
Atlas Disposal will collect the food waste from sources such as food processing companies and will hopefully start working this summer.
The spokesperson added: “Often the waste taken at animal farms is taken at no cost. Landfilling waste in the Sacramento region is still very low cost but when the tip fee and the transportation costs associated with its disposal are considered together, the digestion of the waste is more cost effective”.
The majority of food that is considered to be waste by food processors either goes to landfill or back to the animal farms for feed.
By next year, the site will be expected to process 100 tonnes of waste each day.
Atlas Disposal will collect pre-consumer food waste such as fruits and vegetables and post-consumer waste containing fire and proteins using carts, front load bins, roll off containers and end dump trailers.
This process carries benefits such as power generation, renewable fuels running cleaner meaning better for air quality and greenhouse gas reduction.
As the companies claim, renewable natural gas will save one million gallons of diesel each year and two million kilowatt hours of electricity each year when completed.
Dave Sikich, the CEO of Atlas Disposal Industries, said: “We are dedicated to providing our customers with sustainability based solutions for their businesses that are cost effective.
“The ability to take what was once considered a waste and to turn it into a resource is another way Atlas sets itself apart from traditional waste management companies”.
A digestion-based renewable natural gas fuelling station, which will be used to fuel Atlas’ clean-fuel vehicles, is also being developed.
