What is a biodigester? What are the benefits?
Businesses gain numerous benefits by implementing sustainable practices. Sustainability in the industry can be practiced in various ways. One way for a business to be more sustainable is by utilizing a biodigester. They are an excellent addition for businesses looking to be more environmentally friendly. Biodigesters are an effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of a business, easily manage food waste, and save money.
What is a biodigester?
A biodigester is a system that biologically digests organic material, either anaerobic (without oxygen ) or aerobically (with oxygen). Microbes and other bacteria break down organic materials in a biodigester. Most food, including fat, greases, and even animal manure, can be processed in a biodigester.
Biodigesters are a closed system; therefore, it gives off no odor from food waste; this will eliminate flies and rodents from the facility, increasing hygiene. Also, eliminating food waste on-site saves money by reducing hauling costs. The capacity of food a biodigester can process depends on the size; larger the digester more food it can handle. Biodigesters are a living system and do require maintenance. However, they are easy to use and maintain.
Of course, one of the great benefits of biodigesters is they are eco-friendly and will reduce a facilityās carbon footprint significantly. Food scraps and other organic materials decaying in landfills release methane and carbon dioxide contributing to climate change. Food waste is estimated to be 30-40 percent in the United States and represents the largest category of materials in landfills. Diverting food scraps and other organic materials from landfills, methane, and carbon dioxide can be captured and used efficiently.
Become The Green Champion For Your Company
Teaching Sustainable Business NEWSLETTER
It contains practical sustainability guides, tips, green initiatives and inspirational member stories covering topics such as mission, strategy, tactics, scorecards and reporting.
What is the difference between anaerobic and aerobic biodigester?
Anaerobic biodigester
An anaerobic biodigester breaks down organic materials in an environment absent of oxygen. This type of biodigester can digest food scraps, oil, grease, yard waste, and animal manure. Anaerobic biodigesters produced biogas and digestate as byproducts.
What is biogas, and how is it beneficial?
Biogas is mainly made up of methane and produced when animal waste or food scraps decompose. Biogas can be stored and used as a sustainable energy source for electricity, cooking, and heating. Electricity is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the United States due to most of the electricity produced in the U.S is from fossil fuels. Biogas is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel-derived energy. Utilizing biogas will help facilities decrease the need for energy from the grid, cutting back the electricity cost. Also, by capturing methane from animal manure and using it beneficially, farms can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The amount of biogas varies depending on the material in a digester. Production of methane can be increased by co-digestion, or combining materials from multiple sources, such as manure and restaurant waste. Farmers and restaurants can partner together to create a mutual relationship. For example, the farmers can offer a discount on produce in exchange for food scraps. This partnership will also encourage businesses in the food industry to buy local food.
What is digestate?
Digestate is the material remaining after completion of anaerobic digestion. It is rich in organic nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Farmers can use the digestate to fertilize crops, improve soil quality, or even increase revenue by selling it as fertilizer. An anaerobic biodigester is ideal for the agricultural sector.
Aerobic biodigester
Aerobic biodigester involves oxygen and is much faster, breaking down food in about 24 hours; this process does not produce biogas. Aerobic digesters break food down into gray water that can be disposed of in drainage systems or used as a fertilizer for plants. This type of biodigester can easily integrate into existing infrastructure, and it is well suited for the food industry.
Where to acquire a biodigester?
Aerobic biodigesters are sold by numerous companies in different sizes and prices. In todayās market, biodigesters equipped with smart technology are available. These systems are user-friendly and collect data, send alerts, update for systems maintenance, and measure food waste. The information collected by the system can be stored in the cloud and accessed at any time. Small capacity anaerobic digesters are available for purchase as well. Large scale anaerobic biodigesters are built to suit facilities needs. Programs are offered by the EPA to assist with the construction of anaerobic biodigesters.
Biodigesters are already widely used in facilities to manage food waste. Places such as hotels, universities, and farms have gained significant benefits from using biodigesters.
For us to mitigate climate change, we must invest in green energy like wind and biogas.
Most of the people in rural areas especially in Africa depend on either firewood or charcoal. This causes a lot of damage to forests and the whole ecosystem at large.
For this to be reversed, alternative sources of fuel need to be developed. It doesn’t make sense for governments to tell it’s citizens to stop cutting down trees without providing them with alternative sources of fuel.
Most of the rural people rear animals like cattle, chicken and pigs among others. Their droppings can be used to generate fuel if put into biogas digesters.
This can be of great benefit to the farmers and the whole world at large.
Thank you.
This is our dream that one day agood samaratan shows up And enable us not only learn to install Biodigesters, but help us appreciate the use of biogas!
This is great to know. Thanks for this article!
Ithank you , for such a wonderful and understandable message, I am even on this project because Africa is cutting down much trees for charcoal as sources fuel for cooking.
Please try to give me update and diagrams on biogas project .
My emails: mossay64@gmail.com
Thank you.
Farm digester how much is it from the smallest to largest one
Kindly advice
Thank you for your question! I personally do not know the answer to that off the top of my head but I advise you to revisit our blog as we continue to expand our knowledge and content on green topics such as biodigesters.
Powerknot designs, develops, and manufactures Food Bio Digesters in the Silicon Valley, California.
Please go to our web site to learn more.
http://www.powerknot.com
Thank you for providing your company website! Here at GBB, we are big advocates for green technology and devices such as biodigesters. If you are ever interested in becoming a certified green business then you can find out more about our program here: https://greenbusinessbureau.com/getting-started/
Hello
I just went through your website, and it indicates that your system uses an anaerobic digestion process meaning there is no biogas produced.
So apart from helping restaurants and hotels to manage food waste, what other benefits do they get?
Secondly, what remains after the process, and how do you dispose of them?
Hi Sangh,
Thanks for your comment.
In terms of additional benefits, the bio-digester is a closed system, and hence biogas can be captured and stored which can then be used as a sustainable energy source for electricity, cooking and heating. Other benefits are as we mentioned, “Bio-digesters are a closed system; therefore, it gives off no odour from food waste; this will eliminate flies and rodents from the facility, increasing hygiene. Also, eliminating food waste on-site saves money by reducing hauling costs”.
The remaining material is called digestate. This is a nutrient-rich substance and can be used as fertiliser. Digestate is comprised of left over indigestible material and dead micro-organisms.
I hope this helps,
Please get in touch in you need anymore information,
Thanks and kind regards
Jane
Am interested to part of your company
Hello,
I love the website! We are a Silicon Valley startup who manufactures Food Bio Digesters here in San Jose. We have them all over the planet in restaurants, cafe’s, hospitals, shopping malls, hotels, prison’s ,cruise ships, cannabis farms and many other places that produce large amounts of food.
I would like to know more about your organization and how we can help.
Thank you
Toby-
Thank you for your interest in GBB! Your efforts to combat food waste certainly fit our green business criteria. You can learn more about our certification pricing, member benefits, and request a demo here: https://greenbusinessbureau.com/getting-started/
Thank your for this piece, it has really helped with my assignment. ESV. Akin Olatunde is currently studying Housing Development and Management at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
thank you for the knowledge!!!!
Hello. We are an environmental consulting business helping to develop a large Aerobic Digester system that will reduce almost any organic waste into a dry, nutrient-rich Organic Fertilizer in less than 24 hours. (No freshwater required, no grey water left which still needs to go through the WWTP.)
We have a contract for 200 digesters next year for 1 company with another 1,000+ needed over the next 3 years. However, we have not yet found the right combination of Thermophilic Microbes and other Enzymes to achieve the ultimate goal of <24 hours. If we can find a source for these Microbes, we could achieve a TREMENDOUS positive impact. 1,000 digesters we could keep over 1 Million Tons /year of Organic Waste out of landfills, while preventing methane, and sequestering the carbon for regenerative practices. I would love to find out more about your organization, and how we may be able to collaborate to achieve this Monumental Opportunity.