Microdigester uses biomimicry to convert food waste into renewable energy and fertilizer

This past spring, Seattle-based Impact Bioenergy completed an agreement with ForTheGood Public Benefit Corporation (FTG) who is now the first U.S. customer of the company’s HORSE microdigester. The HORSE is a living machine that uses biomimicry to convert foodwaste into renewable energy and fertilizer, with zero waste.

ForTheGood is working on building a community-scaled “hyperlocal” enterprise with craft food/beverage businesses and urban farmers to divert their rich bio resources from hauling and disposal. The company says it is focused on taking fossil fuel out of waste recycling and fertilizer equations. That in turn creates the opportunity to take the truck out of the food supply equation as well.

Together, with Seattle Urban Farm Company, FTG intends to add urban greenhouse food production to fully capture the heat, humidity, CO2 and fertilizer benefits by coupling a greenhouse to the bioenergy system.

As of January 1, 2015, the City of Seattle no longer allows food and compostable paper, including food-soiled pizza boxes, paper napkins and paper towels, to be discarded as garbage. Impact Bioenergy says the HORSE microdigester offers a local and enterprising solution for compliance with this ordinance in a completely innovative way, and no collection or export of organic waste from the city is necessary.

FTG has also entered a collaboration with Impact Bioenergy called Community Supported Bio to bring foodwaste management benefits to individual neighbourhoods and businesses. FTG and impact will jointly develop, and deploy in phases, a one-mile radius closed loop system for organics – using no collection truck – thereby enabling a net-negative carbon ecosystem.