Casting Visions

The calendar year is drawing to a close, and it’s only natural to ponder what may lie ahead. As we approach 2021, I’m looking back in order to look forward.

I recently updated a white paper that I originally wrote in 2014. The impact of the concept has stayed with me, and its relevance only seems to have increased. Before we dig into the science, let me paint a picture for you.

Imagine this: you are watching your local news station. It’s near the end of the broadcast, and the anchor is setting up the ‘feel good’ story to send viewers off with a pleasant taste. The story takes place at a neighborhood restaurant, where — behind the scenes — the staff is dumping uneaten hash browns, coffee grounds, napkins and plastic wraps into a device you haven’t seen before. The announcer shares that the device is called an anaerobic digester, and that it is used to make something called biomethane. This biomethane is used to produce electricity, which helps to power the very restaurant from which this food and packaging waste came.

This may be a vision, but it’s no fantasy. While food and packaging wastes are a persistent challenge, there is exciting work going on to address both problems while also creating renewable fuels. By now, you are surely primed to geek out on the details, so go nuts:

Anaerobic Digestion: Packaging & Product Wastes Become a Resource

Does your company see a role in this work? Reach out, and we’ll work together to bring it into focus!