Using food waste to generate energy

Youth perspectives on food-to-energy future

Students on the Green Mountain Homeschool Robotics Team participated in a question-and-answer session to review what they had learned through their food-to-energy project.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE THE BEST ABOUT THE PROJECT?

BY REED PARKER Williston Energy Committee

What is a banana peel worth? Or potato skins, or coffee grounds?

By themselves, not very much. But when you add up the thousands of tons of food scraps we collectively produce, just here in Chittenden County, they are certainly worth a lot.

For most of us, composting is the first solution we think about when it comes to food scraps. In this article, we’ll hear from an energetic team of fourth- and fifthgrade students from the Green Mountain Homeschool Robotics Team who studied using food waste to generate energy.

Participating in the First Lego League Challenge, which this year focused on energy, the Green Mountain Homeschool Robotics Team chose the topic of converting food waste to energy (methane) using bio - digesters. They were inspired by the fact that, by law in Vermont, we are no longer allowed to throw food waste into the trash. They saw this as an incredible opportunity to convert food scraps, which in many instances continue to enter the waste stream, into a viable renewable energy source. see WASTE page 11

But how does the food-to-energy process work? The students learned that it’s not magic, it’s science: A biodigester takes in organic material (food scraps) and combines it with bacteria to start a fermentation process that outputs gas, liquid effluent and residual sludge. The desired product produced by a biodigester is methane, the same as “natural gas.” But the food-to-energy process doesn’t require drilling and fracking to obtain the gas. The gas produced by this process is scrubbed of impurities and can then be used for heating or to run a generator to produce electricity.

“I like that you can get energy from items that we usually just throw away. Plus, we aren’t just reusing food waste, we are reducing CH4 (Methane)* which is a big greenhouse gas and can slow down global warming. As soon as I started learning about the biodigester, I fell in love with it. I loved/love learning about it. There is so much to learn.”

Carter Schoppmann

*Note: Methane created by normal composting is lost to the atmosphere

WHAT DID YOU LEARN BY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT?

“I learned that there are already 30 large-scale biodigesters in Vermont, and that they can power a college!* I also learned that biodigesters work by taking food scraps and breaking them down to produce methane, which is used for energy.”

Ted Agnew

* Note: Middlebury College utilizes energy generated at a biodigester site in Addison County.

HOW WILL THIS UNUSED ENERGY SOURCE HELP VERMONT AND OUR COMMUNITIES?

“This energy source will help Vermont by providing another source of affordable, renewable energy so we can move away from fossil fuels, which are very bad for our earth.”

Emilyn Lienen

PLEASE GIVE A COMMENT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

“Vermont is ready for a movement that will take what we have (food scraps) and turn it into energy. An awareness campaign can up the production of energy in Vermont, and when everyone is involved, there is a bigger and greener future for Vermont and thus the nation!”

JJ Garcia-Zeleny

Waste

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Keeping food scraps out of the trash and generating energy from that food waste is a monumental challenge for experts in waste management and engineers involved in alternative energy generation. Undaunted, the students dove into the subject and used the information they gathered to develop a live presentation and supporting video, which was used in

Storm Smart assessments available in Winooski watershed

Chittenden County residents are now able to participate in the Winooski River Valley’s Storm Smart program.

All homeowners and property managers in the county are eligible for the free program. Storm Smart helps people make their homes, driveways and yards better able to soak up stormwater to build flood resilience, protect biodiversity and improve river water quality.

First developed and launched in 2018 by Friends of the Mad River in the Mad River watershed, Storm Smart is expanding into the Winooski River Valley this year through a partnership with Friends of the Winooski River and the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District.

“Storm Smart properties slow down, spread out and sink in rainfall to help keep water on site and stop it from causing damage downhill and downstream,” said Ira Shadis of Friends of the Mad River.

Sign up for a Storm Smart assessment of your property at: https:// winooskinrcd.org/stormsmart/.

During an assessment, a staff person from one of the partner organizations works with the homeowner to trace the paths water takes across their property. After the in-person assessment, the program provides written water management recommendations specific to the the First Lego League challenge on Jan. 28.

Food waste is a continuing problem here in Vermont despite the requirement to keep it out of the landfill. When asked how to get more people to separate their food scraps so they can be used to create green energy, the students came up with the following ideas that each one of us can help with.

• Keep track of your household food waste. In other words, consciously think about where that banana peel is going. Put-