Food Debris, Anaerobic Digestion, and SMUD

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Food Debris, Anaerobic Digestion, and SMUD

• NCRA Recycling Update
• 2006

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Sacramento Municipal Utility District

• Nations 6th largest community-owned electric
  utility
• Began providing electricity in 1946
• Generates, transmits, distributes electric
  power to a 900 sq mi service area that includes
  Sacramento County and part of Placer County

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SMUD adopted a goal to provide 23 of its
electrical power from renewable resources by 2011
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SMUD is considering

• Gasification of wood wastes
• Anaerobic digestion of dairy manure
• Anaerobic digestion of green waste
• Anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste
• Anaerobic digestion of food wastes
• Anaerobic digestion of waste combinations

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Food Waste Quantities and Sources

• In 2003, per CIWMB, FW was about 15 of the
  disposed waste stream
• Typically 15-20 of the disposed waste stream
• 232,342 tons of FW was disposed in Sacramento
  County in 2004
• From residential, commercial, self-haul

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Anaerobic Digestion (Digestor)

• A chamber (container) that uses micro-organisms
  to break down organic manner in the absence of
  air.
• Biogas is produced (CH 4 and CO 2 )
• Can be used to generate electricity using an
  engine coupled w/ an electric generator

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Challenge

• FW collection infrastructure
• Transportation
• Available anaerobic digestion technology
• Must be cost-competitive

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FW Generators

• Residential
• Commercial/Industrial
• - food processing industries
• - agricultural activities
• - restaurants, cafeterias, institutions
• - grocers
• - wineries

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Task 1 Survey FW Collection Programs

• 148 jurisdictions identified by CIWMB with FW
  composting programs
• 42 jurisdictions identified through literature
• - 5 out-of-state (Portland, Seattle, Toronto)
• - 37 throughout California
• Phone survey

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Survey Results

• 25 of 42 were implementing a FWCP
• 9 doing both residential and commercial
  collection of FW
• 8 doing residential FWC only
• 8 doing commercial FWC only
• Nearly all were composting the FW
• Some were considering AD (via studies)

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Some Noteworthy Participants

• City of Los Angeles
• Coachella Valley Association of Governments
• City of San Francisco
• City of Seattle
• Sonoma County Waste Management Agency
• City of Toronto
• East Bay Municipal Utility District
• NORCAL, BLT, and Others

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Drivers for Further Focus on FW

• Large part of the disposed waste stream
• Diversion opportunities
• Alternative energy generation
• Greenhouse gas emission level reductions
• Need for diversion requirements to be established
  for commercial waste generators

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