It’s time for this week’s installment of Reedcycler’s Believe it or Not! Today, I’ve procured some stories that may make you rethink our sewage situation.
Brooklyn turns food and waste into energy
Jimmy Pynn has trillions of children, all of which are bacteria. Each needs three meals a day; luckily, the city of Brooklyn provides them a constant supply of food in the form of waste.
Stationed at the Newton Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the bacteria sit in eight egg-shaped digesters, where they turn sewage and food waste into methane. The gas is used to heat homes or generate electricity.
Japan makes fecal matter into fuel
Adult diapers are hot in Japan, with 5 billion units being sold yearly. To deal with this additional waste, a Japanese company has created a system which turns the dirty diapers into fuel pellets. The diapers undergo an automatic system which shreds, dries, and sterilizes the diapers, creating clean pellets which can be used for home and water heating.
In the US, it is estimated that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed each year, 92% of which end up in the landfill.
This post is part of the “Reedcycler’s Believe it or Not” blog series, which showcases weird waste-related stories. Tune in on Mondays each week for more.
CATEGORIES: Campus Recycling Waste Reduction