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| Industry News |
| BioCycle June 2011, Vol. 52, No. 6, p. 63 |
Compostable Film
Cortec’s line of Eco Works certified biodegradable and
compostable flexible films and bags is designed to replace
many forms of low- and high-density polyethylene at a
competitive pricepoint. Applications range from protective
industrial and agricultural films to retail packaging and
municipal waste diversion collection bags. Eco
Works’ formulations can be customized to meet precise
needs. When placed in a typical composting environment, the
film will fully biodegrade into carbon dioxide and water
within six to eight weeks, according to Cortec. The films
have been certified 100 percent biodegradable/compostable
per ASTM D6400 and DIN EN 13432 by certifying agencies such
as BPI and DIN CERTCO. Visit www.cortecvci.com.
Conveyor Acquisition
Martin Engineering, a global supplier of systems and
services to improve handling of bulk materials, continues
its expansion into India with acquisition of Clean Cat
Conveyors Pvt Ltd. of Goa, a manufacturer and supplier of
steel conveyor idlers, belt cleaners, vulcanizing machines,
sealing and skirtboard systems and other conveyor
accessories. Clean Cat’s facility in Goa will operate as a
branch of the Martin Engineering. Product offerings include
conveyor belt cleaners and transfer point sealing systems,
air cannons, engineered vibration and dust management
systems. Visit www.martin-eng.com.
Modular Digester
Avatar has introduced a modular and scaleable plug-flow
digester system for dairy farms whose collected manure is a
slurry of 8 to 12 percent solids. Digester hull sections are
8-feet in diameter by 20-feet long, each handling manure
produced by about 25 cows. The hull sections can be linked
together and can be arranged in parallel and lengthened to
adjust the capacity to match herd size. Manure is preheated
to the operating temperature of the digester (about 105°F).
Avatar is installing a system at a dairy in Stowe, Vermont,
to digest manure from 90 milking cows. It is expected to be
operational by late summer. Visit www.avatarenergy.com.
Licensing Agreement For High Solids AD
Turning Earth, LLC, a developer of integrated organics
recycling facilities, completed an exclusive licensing and
development agreement with the Danish company Solum Group to
deploy its Aikan High Solids Anaerobic Digestion Technology.
Turning Earth will have exclusive rights to the technology
in North America and will work with Aikan North America, a
Solum subsidiary, to develop Triple Play facilities that
recycle organic waste to produce renewable baseload energy,
compost and sustainably-grown crops. The companies will work
together to design, construct, operate and maintain the
facilities. Solum Group is Denmark’s largest supplier of
compost, growth media and turf care products, integrating
its operations with biogas production. Visit
www.aikantechnology.com.
Biogas Optimized Engines
The new MAN E2876 LE 202 gas-powered engine was developed
especially for efficient operation utilizing gases with only
50 percent methane content. The 6-cylinder in-line engine is
based upon the MAN’s E2876 series, outputs 220 kW in 50-Hz
operation and comes equipped with a single-stage exhaust
turbocharger as well as two-stage cooling of the boost
mixture, with high- and low-temperature circuits.
Specialization for biogas — as opposed to engines that also
run on natural gas and other special gases — results in
increased power and efficiency, with an output increase of
20 kW, according to the company. To compensate for the
lower-quality gas and achieve greater efficiency, the
combustion chamber geometry of the new E2876 has been
optimized, providing a higher performance engine to
customers using biogas to run and heat power plants, dairy
operations and other facilities and businesses. Visit
www.man-mec.com.
Food Depackaging
The Dupps Company has introduced the new Food Depackaging
System (FDS), the first product to be released from its
recently formed Green Technologies business group. The FDS
separates organic from nonorganic materials, including
packaging such as plastics and paper. The system has been
specifically engineered for turning food processing,
supermarket and restaurant waste streams — and other food
items suitable for recycling — into profitable, value-added
product. Processing up to 350 cubic feet of raw feedstock
per hour, the FDS features a heavy-duty shredder and a
specially designed screw press. Organic materials are
converted into a viscous, uniform material that is readily
biodegradable, while a washing drum cleans fats and other
organic material from removed packaging. For further
information, visit www.dupps.com.
Odor Solution
SCARAB’s Odor Solutions combines composting best practices
with chemical industry best practices to provide projects
with an indoor system to control odors and optimize facility
operations. The company took a whole systems approach
(mechanical, chemical, environmental, biochemical and
financial) to its design of a “realistically priced” choice
for composters in need of reducing odors and emissions by
capturing VOCs, according to SCARAB. In addition to odor
control, features include water recycling (all the water
vapor emitted is captured in the composting process and
returned to the windrows); air exchanges; aeration without
blowers and ducts (the air movement system draws air in from
the outside for adequate aeration during turning and
composting); and leachate and vector control. The chemically
resistant fabric buildings can be disassembled for
relocation on a pad site if necessary. Buildings can be
custom-designed to fit a facility’s footprint with width
being the only limiting factor (maximum 150 ft). Visit
www.scarabmfg.com.
Compostable Cups
PepsiCo will begin offering a new line of recyclable and
compostable cups to foodservice clients in the United
States. The new products include fully recyclable clear
plastics cups that include an rPET (recycled PET) cup
containing 20 percent postconsumer content, and compostable
cups and wax cups made with plant-based material sourced
from sustainably managed forests. The company says it is
offering the mix of green products in order for customers —
such as restaurants, stadiums and parks, colleges and
universities — to be able to select the right product based
upon locally available infrastructure such as recycling and
commercial compost facilities. “The new cups are an
advancement in technology, but also in the way we
communicate,” said PepsiCo Foodservice spokesperson Margery
Schelling. “Customers increasingly are asking for
environmental products that match changing needs,
expectations and lifestyles. We want our customers to … feel
good about the environmental impact of their purchase.”
Copyright
2011, The JG Press, Inc.
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