Your facility is considering adding an on-site waterless recycler to process food waste, but what will you do with the output? Harp Renewables food waste recyclers, for example, produce a ready-to-use, nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer in just 24 hours. So, how can you use it?
Good news: The fertilizer produced by waterless food waste recyclers can, in fact, be blended into soil or compost and used directly on your landscaping. Adding natural fertilizer contributes nutrients to the landscaping at your facility while creating a truly closed-loop solution to the problem of food waste.
But before we discuss what this fertilizer can do, let’s describe how this equipment works.
Food Waste to Fertilizer in Just 24 Hours
Waterless food waste recyclers use heat, microbial activity, airflow, and mechanical rotation to transform food waste into a stable, usable natural fertilizer. Harp Renewables’ waterless food waste recyclers heat food scraps and other organic material to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill pathogens while microbes perform aerobic decomposition inside the machine.
“We use thermophilic microbes, which are heat-loving bacteria and survive at high temperatures,” says Christy Hurlburt, Director of Product for Viably. “This accelerates the decomposition process so that the output material is ready in about 24 hours, even breaking down bones, shells, and meat.”
The recycler’s interior rotating paddles move the food waste as it decomposes and enable airflow within the equipment, creating optimal conditions for decomposition. The result is a 75% decrease in volume and weight in 24 hours, plus a stable, nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer ready to be added to the soil of a facility’s gardens and landscaped areas.
“It’s important to note that the output of a waterless food waste recycler isn’t the same as that from an industrial food dehydrator,” Hurlburt adds. “Dehydrated food waste is still food waste, and it will reconstitute if it gets wet.” By contrast, the fertilizer product from a waterless food waste recycler is stable, so it won’t re-form into food waste or develop odors when wet.
Enriching Landscaping and Communities
Once a waterless food waste recycler has produced the finished fertilizer, it can be mixed in directly with the soil of landscaped areas at your facility. This natural fertilizer has the consistency of coffee grounds and introduces nutrients to your soil, improving its chemical and structural properties. The enriched soil helps retain water, promotes plant growth, and maintains the complex ecosystem present in healthy soils.
What if your facility doesn’t have landscaped areas on-site? There are many ways to reintroduce this natural fertilizer into the environment. One method is to offer it to your local community gardens or schools that may have gardens for student environmental clubs. Nearby landscaping companies may also be willing to pick it up and use it in their own fertilizers and soil blends.
Another potential use is offering the fertilizer to area composting facilities. Adding it to their piles can increase microbial activity and further enrich their final compost product. Depending on the recipient, facilities can explore donating or selling the fertilizer product.
Close the Loop on Food Waste
“We’re reaching a tipping point where people realize what a huge problem food waste is, and legislation is catching up,” Hurlburt says. About one-third of all food in the U.S. is wasted, which severely depletes resources while adding methane to the atmosphere. In fact, the emissions from producing wasted food are equal to those from 32.6 million cars each year.
The increase in legislation and regulations now means that facilities across many states must separate food waste for processing or composting. An on-site solution like a Harp Renewables waterless food waste recycler is an easy way to take food out of solid waste streams and turn it into something useful.
“Corporations, schools, hospitals, and anyone who wants to have zero waste or reduce their emissions can use an on-site waterless food waste recycler to help reach their climate goals,” Hurlburt says. “Applying the fertilizer product at your facility fully closes the loop.”
Not only do these solutions improve emissions at a large scale, but they also improve the soil, water retention and plant health at your facility — a win-win for operations and the environment.
To learn more about food waste solutions for your business, please contact Christy Hurlburt, Director of Product – Food Waste Recycling Solutions, at churlburt@thinkviably.com.
Download the Report: Unpacking The Potential of Food Waste Recycling
The U.S. organics waste market is expected to expand to more than $30 billion by 2030, and we want to make sure our customers can take advantage of it. Download this report and explore the environmental, financial, and legislative aspects of recycling food waste and get ready to capitalize on opportunities.
