¾«¶«Ó°Òµ

Image

¾«¶«Ó°Òµ has partnered with through the implementation of Grind2Energy®, an organics recovery process that converts food waste to renewable energy. This forward-thinking approach allows us to significantly decrease our impact on the environment while creating renewable energy for the communities we serve. 

According to Grind2Energy, the process efficiently captures food scraps on site, and it is hauled away to an anaerobic digestion facility where it is turned into renewable energy such as electricity, compressed natural gas, and nutrient-rich soil amendment that is all returned back into the local community. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµnon-sewer system consists of a processing table and a holding tank that is safe and easy to operate. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµscraps are processed through the grinder and travel through to a sealed holding tank. Having the scraps nicely contained within the tank allows the university to avoid odors which could attract critters, compared to a potential compost system. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ has been looking for ways to divert food waste away from landfill, and the Grind2Energy process is a great first step to accomplishing this objective by being a cleaner and cost-effective alternative. With the DI HUB being a new dining facility and building at ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ, this provided the perfect opportunity to install this process on campus.

When a pickup is scheduled, a company called Quasar will come and pump the food scraps-turned-slurry out of the contained tank and take it to their facility for anaerobic digestion. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµanaerobic digestors breakdown organisms in a closed tank without oxygen. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµtanks generate methane gas, which is burned in internal combustion engines to generate energy production

Quasar, anaerobic digestors. Breakdown of organisms in a closed tank without oxygen. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµtanks generate methane gas, which is burned in internal combustion engines to generate electricity. ¾«¶«Ó°Òµremaining biosolids become nutrient-rich fertilizer. For more information on this process, visit , or check out our most recent that tracks the Grind2Energy system here at ¾«¶«Ó°Òµ.