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QUESTION
How is digestate from anaerobic digesters processed, and what proportion is beneficially reused?
0:19:13
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95 sec
The anaerobic digester process produces gas, fertilizer, and construction materials, with approximately 95% of the finished solids being beneficially reused.
- The anaerobic digestion process simulates the human stomach, transforming waste into various materials.
- Gas produced is primarily used for heating and powering homes in Brooklyn.
- The process also generates fertilizer and materials for landfill capping and construction infill.
- A key point is the significant water weight in food waste, leaving 22% of digestate as solid.
- Of these finished solids, about 95% are beneficially reused.
Shaun Abreu
0:19:13
How is the digest date from anaerobic digesters processed, and what proportion is beneficial we were used.
Joshua Goodman
0:19:20
So I think probably DEP could speak to that in more detail, but my understanding is that the anaerobic digest or basically mimic the processes that take place within the human stomach.
0:19:32
I learned that when I took the tour as a member of the public.
0:19:35
So the the it produces a few different materials, and there are multiple beneficial uses.
0:19:45
So some of it is gas, which is used to heat and power homes primarily at the moment, and Brooklyn is my understanding.
0:19:53
Some of it is used to produce fertilizer.
0:19:56
Some of it is used to produce the material that caps a landfill and infill construction material.
0:20:03
That, you know, the one thing that I think is interesting about the Anurobic digestion process is when you think about food waste, the and this is why it can be challenging to look at the the tonnage and you have to look at it at different points in the process.
0:20:15
The bulk of it is water weight.
0:20:17
When you're talking about your food waste, something like 12 I'm sorry.
0:20:22
22%, I think it is.
0:20:23
We should check on that, but I think it's 22%, of the of of of it is it is solid, and the rest of it is water weight.
0:20:33
And so when you talk about what is beneficially used, it's important to remember that your denominator shouldn't include the the majority of it that's just water.
0:20:42
When you get down to those finished solids, I've seen analyses that put the beneficial use number at around 95%.