A major feature of the WastAway system is its ability to fully process all types of food waste without the huge expense of separate collection systems. Whether from homes, institutions or restaurants, food waste that is troublesome to most disposal systems, including landfills, is welcomed as an important source of energy for WastAway’s fuel product.

Treating the waste stream holistically allows the multi-patented system to process food waste and treat its energy value the same as that of paper, cardboard and other cellulosic items. As the material moves quickly through the system, it becomes very homogenous in nature, completing the process in sterilizing pressurized steam equipment. The result is a consistent fluff-like material (think blow-in attic insulation) that can be used as-is for solid fuel or pelletized as needed. The energy value is similar to that of coal used in most industrial or utility boiler systems, and it can be used to offset use of that fossil fuel.

The benefits of utilizing food waste to create WastAway’s fuel go beyond the savings of operating segmented collection:

• There is no residue digestate or biochar to deal with as there is with some other food waste disposal technologies.
• Three times the energy value can be extracted from food waste using WastAway’s method, as opposed to anaerobic digestion.
• Users avoid the odor and pathogens often associated with systems that depend on decay and rot to break down waste over time.

This important aspect of WastAway’s technology is a feature that allows the system to achieve up to 90% landfill diversion without front-end sorting of materials.