1. INTRODUCTION
This proposal has been developed in response to combat the food waste by
food consumers so as to convert the disposal into byproducts that benefits the
environment.
Singapore is faced with an ongoing situation where vasts amounts of energy
and manpower has been used to deal with food waste. Starting from vehicles
needed to transport to incineration plants, to the energy used in the boilers
to incinerate food waste down to ten percent of its original size. Furthermore,
the incineration of food waste comes with the imminent cause of air pollution
which negatively degrades the environment.
As Singapore’s population continues to grow, the amount of food disposal
has been ever increasing at the incineration site. To counter the issue on the
rapid growth in food disposal, my team proposed an idea to improve the
situation of food disposal conservation. Since the recycling rate has increased
gradually to 14% during the last ten years. Our goal is to implement food
recycling machines in SIT Punggol will efficiently add value to the effort of
recycling food waste in Singapore.
Singapore’s current application into incorporating food waste recycling
is by using food waste on-site waste treatment systems. Currently, in the
market, there are various machines such as Westcom, BioHitech and Eco-Wiz. All
these machines have the same purpose into recycling food waste into reusable
products.
As of now, two waste recycling technologies are being used to produce
two different byproducts. However, the organisation is required decide to
between the two technologies to implement in their premises. Hence, our
solution is to incorporate two of these technologies into a single machine
whereby the operator will select the preferred mode for the output of the
byproducts. This way, it will generate the flexibility of installing the
machine in a variety of facilities.
Evaluating the current technologies of recycling food wastage, would
help the planning community of SIT to understand that there are such machines
in the current market.Through the implementation of a food waste recycling
machine that decompose into two different by-products, it would increase
efficiency and flexibility. Finally, food waste can both be recycled into
fertilizers and black water.
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Canteens at SIT Punggol
campus should implement food waste recycling machines to produce high quality
fertilizers/wastewater as byproducts instead of disposing food waste into incineration.
However, amongst all the approaches in which food waste is decomposed, there
has not been an integration of technology that incorporates producing
fertiliser and wastewater as byproducts in a single machine. Institutions will
be unsure on the type of technology that is essential for their usage.
As the large amount of food
waste produced continues to be a problem, our team has decided to incorporate
both technologies into a single waste recycling machine to suit the needs of
the campus.
3. PURPOSE STATEMENT
This report proposes to the
planning committee of SIT Punggol an integration of waste recycling
technologies into one machine that can be implemented into SIT Punggol
university campus through the analysis of both technologies that are currently
existing in the market.
4. CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION
In the last 10 years, food waste has been increasing from about 500 000
tonnes to close to 700 000 tonnes in 2016, 2017. This increment of food waste
is due to two main factors. The increase in population and commercial activity.
Efforts has been taken place to reduce food waste. Starting from the source,
food wastage efforts has been carried out in terms of posters to encourage
buying what is only needed as food wastage due to expired foods were the main
contributors to food wastage. The next effort was to redistribute excess food
to food organisations through donations to reduce the need to throw food waste
when it passes the date of expiry. The last and least recommend effort would be
to dispose waste to waste-to-energy (WTE) plants to recover energy from waste
and to reduce them down to 10 percent from its original size to be disposed
into incineration plants. Our team feels the need to encourage and focus into
recycling food waste as it has not yet been well-established enough in the
current market due to certain factors. We believe that through the integration
and improvement of existing technology can we only be able to further recycle
food waste into reusable products.
Food waste machines are
implemented with the main purpose to reduce the dependency of incineration
plants and landfills. Currently, there are two different types of food disposal
technology that breaks down food waste. One of which, breaks down the food
waste into fertilizers which can be used for agriculture and the other produces
reusable water which can then be used for watering plants or cleaning of
premises.
These machines operate
through the breakdown of food waste by micro-organisms in the system. As waste
is introduced into the system, micro-organisms start to feed and break down on
food particles, ultimately reducing its size. In the chambers, rotating shafts
would mix the bio media (which houses micro-organisms) as well as the food
waste to ensure homogeneous mix of materials. There is a heating element to
provide warm conditions for micro-organisms to thrive. To produce waste water
as a by-product, micro-organisms need an aerobic condition and hence, air is
introduced through inlets. Food waste would then be broken down till it would
be small enough to pass through digester screens. A 2-step filtration system
will then be used to remove grease and certain microbials which may cause
diseases or fermentation before it is passed off as reusable water. On
the other hand, fertiliser is produced as a by-product through anaerobic conditions.
As the chamber is closed and sealed off, waste will first get its water vapour
evaporated off which passes through vents. This in turn reduces waste by 70
percent. Micro-organisms will further reduce the volume of the waste to 10
percent of its original volume, turning it into useful fertiliser compost which
can be used on green spaces.
The main variance in technology would come between the process and by
products they produce but they all originate from a single idea; to reduce the
size of food waste through micro-organisms. Clients would have to decide
between which machine works best on which specific environment or work place
they are in. Most commercial companies prefer the food waste machine to produce
reusable water as they do not have green spaces and would prefer to have a full
reduction of waste to ultimately reduce manpower. Educational, eco-friendly
parties may choose a food waste machine to produce fertilisers as the compost
produced would save the company money. The compost is able to be applied on
most soil media and hence its versatility encourages more to use the product.
5. PROPOSED SOLUTION
By putting the two respective technologies
together, it will be an integration of technologies into one single system.
This way, it will solve hassle effort of the worker as he has to do twice the
work instead. In addition, it will be a lot more convenient with respect to the
number of times the worker needs to attend to the machine. In turn, will reduce
the complication or rather many taskings that the worker has to do as now, they
will rely more on the integrated waste recycling machine to do the work for
them right from the very beginning. With the accessibility of the functions,
allowing the worker to have the ability to select the amount of fertiliser or
reusable water to be produced from the food waste. Selecting the mode of output
depending on the needs. Loading the waste into the respective input of the
machine, fertilizer or liquid. Estimated time will be show on the digital panel
of the machine. Overtime, the byproducts will be churned into bits and fine
particles. Hence, both byproducts will be ready after 24 hours. Leaving it
untouch for a prolonged time, the system will be smart to self initiate a
system shut down. This is to greatly save the electricity cost from the power
supply.
5.1 Waste to fertilizer recycling technology
On the other hand, fertiliser is produced as a by-product through anaerobic conditions. As the chamber is closed and sealed off, waste will first get its water vapour evaporated off which passes through vents. According to Ecoman FOODIE entailed “How FOODIE works? Waste decomposing process!” (2014), waste is reduced by 70 percent. Ecoman FOODIE further stated that Micro-organisms will further reduce the volume of the waste to 10 percent of its original volume, turning it into useful fertiliser compost which can be used on green spaces.
5.2 Waste to liquid recycling technology
Both of these technologies used do have their pros and cons as well. The
benefit of compost food waste machines would be the flexibility to install them
at almost any place that have a power socket as they do not require drainage.
However, these machines will produce compost as a by-product and manpower is
still needed to handle them. The main benefit of reusable water food waste
machines is the ability to reduce food waste so small that it is able to pass
through filter screens. This leaves waste water that can either be reused or
discharged into public sewers while passing the trade effluent limits imposed
by PUB, ultimately reducing overall manpower. The downside to this machine is
that it has to be placed in a vicinity that has an outlet to the sewers,
limiting the flexibility of the machine placement.
6. METHODOLOGY
- Observations made in
the F&B outlets during operating hours on quantity of food prepared
and waste management.
- Conduct interviews the
parties involved in this motive
- Research on rules and
regulations of various F&B outlets
- Research on handling
of food wastages
- Research the amount of
food wastage on a typical day ( E.g. Hawker centre on weekends probably
more compared to weekdays)
- Research on how much
of fertilizers/reusable water can be generated for how much of food waste.
(effectiveness)
6.1
Primary Research
6.2
Secondary Research
- Research on the rules
and regulations of operation in the canteen regarding handling of food
waste
- Interview on targeted
audiences.
- Research on the
mechanisms of the machines being focused on that are currently used in
Singapore and find a way to invent a machine that consists both technology
7. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, our team proposes to implement a technology which integrates two different
types of technology which produces soil fertilizers and reusable water into a
single system or machine. By having two different form of by-products, the
school can be reassured that there will not be an overproduction of a certain
type of by-product. Moreover, the operator assigned to operate the machine will
be given the choice of choosing on which particular type of by-product is
needed. These by-products can be used around the school’s premises. For
example, the soil fertiliser can be used any agriculture around the vicinity
and the reusable water can be used to wash the canteen floors or toilets. Based
on our team’s research, we will say for a technology such as we proposed, will
have an estimated cost of 30,000 to 50,000 dollars. This may be a huge sum,
however, statistics have shown that the amount of food waste recycled which are
then used on the premises itself, will compensate for the estimated cost of the
proposed system.
8. REFERENCES
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