University of Vermont to Test Food De-packaging System
(Bioenergy Insight) Researchers at the University of Vermont (UVM) have partnered with Casella Waste Systems to test a new food de-packaging system.
One-third of food waste in Vermont is still packaged, creating difficulties when it comes to the mandatory diversion of food waste away from landfills under the state’s new Universal Recycling Law (Act 148 banned food scraps from landfills from July 2020).
“It’s very exciting for us to bring this technology to our home state,” said John Casella, chairman and CEO of Casella Waste Systems. “This facility will allow us to separate valuable organic and recyclable feedstock from waste material, put them to a higher and better use, and preserve natural resources.”
Casella has funded two UVM graduate students to conduct this sustainable waste management research. Assistant Professor Eric Roy and two of his students are determining if food waste, once separated from its packaging, can be used for anaerobic digestion and composting.
AD produces biogas, a clean, renewable source of energy, as well as liquid and solid digestates for use on farm fields as fertiliser or animal bedding. But what happens if the separated food waste still contains small particles of packaging – mostly plastics? The de-packager’s manufacturer claims 95-99% effectiveness in isolating food from its containers, leaving a small fraction of microplastics that can make their way into the environment in the digestate. READ MORE
