Methane Digestion (AKA Anaerobic Digestion)

     I will tell you in brief about the types of methane digestion systems as relating to Sarah Lawrence College before too long, but right now, I still have a lot to learn there before publicizing anything that would make much coherent sense.
     For right now, it is just worth saying that this methane digestion facility at SLC is looking like a more and more unusual one. First the vast majority of anaerobic digestion (AKA Methane Digestion) research available is about digesting animal manure, sewage, and industrial water treatment, meaning toxic water. Second almost all operating methane digestion facilities that do deal with food waste are in the food processing industries such as sugar and starch manufacturing, the milk processing industry, and in the brewing industry, such as wine, beer, liquor etc. (J.-H. Tay et al. 124) (Nelson and Lamb 8) While this can still count as food waste, this kind of food waste is radically different from the type of food waste seen in a dining hall. While there are a few facilities that use anaerobic digestion of food waste, commercial facilities are still very few.
     The hard thing about this is that because there are few precedents (There are some in Japan as noted in these sources Kawamura et al. AND Tanikawa et al.), there is a very high chance that this facility which will cost a lot of money to build will fail UNLESS NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN, NECESSARY HOMEWORK IS DONE, AND THERE IS PROPER MANAGEMENT OF THIS FACILITY. Given this facility succeeds, which it will, this will radically change the entire composting industry. Currently, I have yet to hear of a large-scale commercial composting facility located in an area as densely populated as Bronxville, New York. This will give SLC a lot of publicity, and put it on the map of sustainable colleges not only in the nation, but even in the world. It can also make United States an important leader in creating a more sustainable and just world by radically redesign the way cities are currently built. After all, if managing food waste can be just as simple as digging a hole in the ground, filling it with food waste, and selling it as a valuable compost while making a valuable source of energy, this will be the beginning of a revolution. This is not an opportunity worth missing!!!

Works Cited


Kawamura, K.; Nakanishi, F.; and Irie, N.. (2005) A process report on bio-recycle facility of Kampo 
Recycle Plaza. Takuma Technical Reports 13(1), 31-37.

Nelson, Carl. Lamb, John. "Final Report: Haubenschild Farms Anaerobic Digester Updated!" St Paul: The Minnesota Project, 2002. 1-35.

Tanikawa, N.; Furuichi, T.; Ishii, K.; and Nishigami, K.. (2008) Study on Methane Generation, Environmental Burdens, and Cost Effectiveness of Kitchen-Waste Biogasification Facilities. J. Japan Soc. Waste Manage. Experts 19(3), 182-190. (Contact Yu-You Li at yyli@epl1.civil.tohuku.ac.jp who helped write the article "Applications and New Developments of Biogas Technology in Japan" for more information on articles by Kawamura and by Tanikawa)

Tay, Joo-Hwa. Show, Kuan-Yeow. Lee, Duu-Jong. Zhang, Zhen-Peng. "Anaerobic Granulation and Granular Sludge Reactor Systems" Environmental Anaerobic Technology: Applications and New Developments Herbert H.P. Fang. London: Imperial College Press, 2010. 113-136.