- Reduces food waste up to 90%!
- Tax credits can result in savings up to 43%!
- Saves money and greenhouse gases from trucking food waste!
- Can be installed in kitchens or dish rooms for staff convenience!
- No offensive odors!
- Produces a dry, sterile organic biomass that can be used as a soil nutrient!
- The small particle size of biomass looks like coffee grounds and breaks down quickly in soil!
Install of Ecovim is easy, plug in the socket and install drain
- Water from dehydration is condensed and may be reused or sent to drain!
- Converts food waste to soil nutrient the same day!
- Dehydrators are in stock and can be shipped in 1-3 weeks!
- Machine sizes cover requirements from 0 to 1,100 lbs/day of food waste!
Uses for the Dried Food Waste (DFW) from the Dehydrator
Supplemental Feed for Animals
Samples of Dehydrated Food Waste (DFW) were analyzed for comparison to commercial cattle feeds. The most important nutrient requirements and their concentration ranges were compared to DFW.
Results for the nutritional value of DFW are quite close to Cattle Feed. Macro Minerals are acceptable for 3 of 6 common minerals. Sodium was found to be considerably higher, but will depend on the ingredients that make up the DFW. In Micro Minerals, iron is a perfect match for that reported in commercial feed and the others can easily be compensated when substituting DFW for up to 25% of grains.
Pellets for Heating Fuel
Samples of DFW were analyzed for comparison to the specifications for wood pellets to determine the suitability for use as a heating fuel. Parameters investigated were heating value, bulk density, moisture and ash content and results were compared to the PFI Pellet Quality Standards.
Heating value of DFW exceeded the requirements for all 4 grades of wood pellets by approximately 15%. Heating value is the most critical requirement that DFW would have to meet. Moisture concentration of DFW also met the requirements for all 4 grades of wood pellets. While the Bulk Density for DFW was higher than the standards, this is not necessarily a disadvantage, since DFW could easily be blended with off-spec wood chips having lower than acceptable density.
Testing was not done in a pellet stove to indicate whether odors during burning could be a potential problem. If it is, blending DFW with wood pellets will significantly reduce any odors.
Pyrolysis to Biochar
Samples of DFW were processed further to assess value after Pyrolysis to Biochar, a material similar to charcoal. Biochar is desirable for its properties of a soil amendment: organic content; stability and water retention.
For the evaluation, the DFW temperature was increased at the rate of 5oC/minute up to 500oC, in the absence of oxygen, and held for 1 hour. After cooling to room temperature the experimental Biochar was analyzed for moisture, yield and particle size.
The data show that DFW definitely meets the requirements to be an acceptable Biochar in 25% yield of small, uniform particles.
Soil Nutrient as a Fertilizer Supplement
Fertilizers are used to enhance the properties of less than optimum soils. Three primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Depending on the soil pH, the pH of a fertilizer can be more or less helpful. If the soil pH is high, above 7, a slightly acidic fertilizer will help to reduce the pH towards neutral. If the soil pH is low, fertilizer and lime will be used.
For comparison purposes, samples of DFW were compared to a popular commercial fertilizer to determine its suitability.
Following the increasingly required protocol of making additions to soil based on analysis along with the needs of the crops, DFW is appropriate for use to supplement commercial fertilizer.
Why Ship DFW?
DFW has 15-25% of the weight of Wet Garbage and takes up less space
DFW can be safely stored in closed containers for weeks
Bad odors are eliminated
The cost of hauling DFW will be considerably less
Emissions from trucks hauling DFW will be much lower
DFW is sterile producing less risk of bacterial and viral contamination
Why Not Ship Wet Garbage?
Costs more to haul wet garbage due to the water, making up 50-75% of the load
Emissions from heavy trucks hauling will be greater
Wet garbage has offensive odors
Bottom Line:
Hauling DFW costs less and reduces emissions to the atmosphere!!
Composition:
The important characteristics of beneficial materials for composting include carbon and nitrogen content, moisture level and pH. The ideal medium for the bacteria to break down the organic content require a carbon to nitrogen ratio of approximately 25:1. Faster decomposition of the organic matter occurs when the moisture is in the 40-60 % by wt. range. pH for the compost pile should be close to neutral. Samples of DFW were tested for these characteristics.
DFW is sterile from being heated above the survival temperature of pathogens, and is converted to small, uniform particles looking like coffee grounds to accelerate the rate of decomposition in either the compost pile or when used as a soil nutrient after being mixed in the ratio of 1 part Biomass to 7-10 parts soil and being turned under in the pile or the garden bed.