Smart Food Waste Recycling Bin (S-FRB) to turn food waste into green energy resources
Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews (RGC: 21, 22, 62) › 21_Publication in refereed journal › peer-review
Author(s)
Related Research Unit(s)
Detail(s)
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 290-296 |
Journal / Publication | Journal of Environmental Management |
Volume | 234 |
Online published | 8 Jan 2019 |
Publication status | Published - 15 Mar 2019 |
Link(s)
Abstract
Effective treatment of food waste is inherently difficult due to several factors, including its heterogeneous composition, high moisture content, and low heating value. To address these issues, this study aims to convert food waste into an energy resource using naturally occurring fermentative microorganisms embedded in wooden biochips (bio-catalysis), utilizing a “Smart Food Waste Recycling Bin” (S-FRB) system. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis identified the major aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria with alpha-diversity in terms of the Phylogenetic Diversity index ranging from 40.8 (initial stage) to 24.5 (mature stage), which indicates the microbial communities are relatively homogeneous and effective for use in the S-FBR. Operational results indicated that the organic content of food waste traded in the system increased from 53% up to 72% in the final end-product and achieved a mass reduction rate of approximately 80%. The heating value of the end-product, which was 3300 kcal/kg waste when measured by the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method, confirmed its high potential as a biofuel. Overall, the S-FRB system presents a practical approach for food waste treatment that solves the putrescible waste problem and maximizes utility through resource circulation.
Research Area(s)
- Biochip, On-site food waste treatment, Resource circulation, Smart Food Waste Recycling Bin
Citation Format(s)
Smart Food Waste Recycling Bin (S-FRB) to turn food waste into green energy resources. / Yeo, Joonho; Oh, Jeong-ik; Cheung, Hedwig H.L. et al.
In: Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 234, 15.03.2019, p. 290-296.Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews (RGC: 21, 22, 62) › 21_Publication in refereed journal › peer-review