Wake Forest University is evaluating a system to divert food scraps and other organic waste from the landfill.
The University launched a comprehensive pilot project with GaiaRecycle, LLC, to test the effectiveness of the company’s organic waste recycling systems at the school’s campus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Wake Forest’s food service management partner Aramark also is collaborating on the pilot project for converting organic waste into to a reusable resource for campus landscaping applications.
GaiaRecycle employs modular systems and plant-level implementations, ranging from 220 pounds/day to two tons/day, with patented technology that accelerates the organic decomposition process based on drying, sterilizing and grinding food scraps and organic waste while reducing waste volume and weight by up to 90% during its 8 to 11 hours processing cycle.
GaiaRecycle also offers an anaerobic digestion solution for producing biogas from organic waste.
In 2009, Cornell University announced that it has cut its waste stream in half by turning food scraps and animal bedding into nutrient-rich compost.