Source: environmentalleader.com
Published: August 18, 2017
Two anaerobic food digesters will reduce trash bills for the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, PA. By using the digesters to break down organic trash, the casino will reduce its monthly trash load by 20 to 30 tons, according to LehighValleyLive.com.
The food digesters use microorganisms to break leftover food waste into grey water, which is then discharged to the sewer system.
This is the second phase of the resort’s project. First, the Sands tried a smaller digester in the staff dining room. Three years later, it was declared a success, and the resort moved forward with the new digesters.
Another Pennsylvania organization is also looking at better ways to manage food waste. The Philadelphia Eagles sports team is installing a food waste digester and data analytics platform at the team’s Lincoln Financial Field. The team installed a waste digester at its practice facility in September, 2016, and since then it has decomposed – and thus diverted from landfill – more than 9 tons of food waste.
The team is partnering with Waste Masters Solutions, which will work with BioHiTech Global on developing, installing and deploying the digester and data analytics platform.
Reducing food waste can help companies save money. In addition to being the single largest component of US municipal solid waste, accounting for a major portion of the nation’s methane emissions, food waste cost businesses billions of dollars each year.
Plus, a growing number of states and cities are requiring commercial businesses to reduce food waste. In California, for example, the state’s mandatory commercial organics recycling program expanded its reach on Jan. 1 to include all businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of organic waste per week, Environmental Leader reported earlier this year.
Using anaerobic food digesters to reduce food waste can help companies save money; by adding analytics, companies can save even more by identifying and measuring the waste disposal process, thus identifying operational inefficiencies and allowing for improvements to be made, according to BioHiTech Global, a company that offers waste management solutions.