Converting food waste into solid fuels, biodiesel and other products

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that “a third of all the food produced in the world is never consumed,” totalling about 1.3 billion tons of waste a year. The U.S. alone wastes 40 percent of all food, worth an estimated $165 billion.

This waste decays in landfills and, without oxygen present, emits methane, which is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. This alarming figure led researchers at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science to investigate alternatives to landfilling organic wastes.

The researchers have since developed a breakthrough synergistic technology that uses anaerobic digestion (AD) to turn nutrient-rich organic materials into fuel (biogas), fertilizer, or soil conditioner, while using the carbon dioxide fraction of the biogas to grow algae. Simultaneously, lipid oils in the algae are also extracted and converted to biodiesel.

This novel process, which essentially integrates algae production with AD, allows researchers to almost completely utilize the carbon found in food waste in a renewable manner.

Equipment used to promote growth of algae.

 Food waste from UC's Center Court.

 The UC project integrates AD with algae growth, the lipids from which is used for biodiesel production.

Read more...ceas.uc.edu

Image credit: University of Cincinnati

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