A new program in New York City is making use of food waste to produce bio-gas for residential and commercial heating. More than 100 restaurants are participating in the program, which is a voluntary effort to reduce the amount of food waste headed to landfills.
During the first six months of the program, more than 2,500 tons of food waste was diverted from the city’s landfills. Half of participating restaurants have already reached their goal of reducing landfill-bound food waste by 50%.
Waste Management Incorporated is delivering the waste to the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, where it is combined with wastewater sludge to increase bio-gas production. The bio-gas is then converted to natural gas by National Grid and used for home and business heating.
It is estimated that the food waste project will produce enough natural gas to heat over 5,000 New York City homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90,000 metric tons. This is the equivalent of removing nearly 19,000 cars from the road.
The effort is a cooperative enterprise involving the City of New York, Waste Management, and National Grid. It is one of many projects instigated by former Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative, which is focused on preparing New York for a million additional residents by strengthening the city’s economy, combating climate change, and improving quality of life.
Heating homes and businesses with the waste products of restaurants is a step in the right direction.
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Web Links
New York City to Use Food Waste to Heat Homes
http://www.triplepundit.com/2013/12/new-york-city-use-food-waste-heat-homes/
Photo, taken on September 9, 2011, courtesy of Michael Coghlan via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.