Dive Brief:

• Green tech company BioHiTech and Natural Systems Utilities are collaborating to test technology that would enable BioHiTech’s food waste disposal system to tank and deliver grey water to anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities across the globe. Once the water that BiotHiTech’s Eco-Safe Digester converts from food waste was transported to anaerobic digestion plants, workers would capture biogas to create renewable energy.
• The process is currently being tested at a New Jersey supermarket, and the waste is being transported to an anaerobic digestion facility at Ridgewood’s water pollution control facility.
• Partners of the test include the village of Ridgewood, NJ and Ridgewood Green RME, which owns a liquid waste receiving facility and a digester biogas power plant.

Dive Insight:

Global BioHiTech has already made its mark in the U.S., selling its Eco-Safe Digesters at two New Jersey Dunkin Donuts where the equipment converts coffee grounds and other food waste into water, which is then transported through sewer lines. The food waste disposal system has its appeal to businesses working to reduce landfill burden as well as cut cost, as it saves time and money otherwise invested to haul the waste.

Now the waste may travel further—much further—if the grey matter can be tanked and transported to the AD "predigested," cutting costs to process it once it arrives.

"Early trials to receive the material and feed it to the digester have proven successful," said Paul Knowles, director of technical operations of Natural Systems Utilities. "We are working with BioHiTech to expand the process so that they can offer this solution to new and existing customers."