Bioenergy Devco, the North American division of BTS Bioenergy, LLC and global leader in the design, engineering, construction, financing and operation of anaerobic digestion facilities, released a statement commending local legislators’ efforts to divert organic waste from landfills and reduce methane emissions. A group of more than 50 leaders from across the United States sent an open letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday, calling on the federal government to update landfill emissions monitoring standards and support their efforts to phase organics out of landfills and incinerators.
“I applaud the proactive efforts of these local legislators to address a very critical need, impacting not only at the local level but also a worldwide problem. There is clear evidence of an overwhelming desire to address methane emissions that impact local communities and waterways,” said Bioenergy Devco’s CEO Shawn Kreloff. “We see the greatest impact on issues that impact us on a global level made by local communities working together to protect the environment and strengthen their economies. We look forward to continuing to partner with local legislators and residents to do just that, and also serve as a resource to local communities in their efforts to curtail methane emissions.”
The letter comes just weeks after the United States Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative the Wasted Food Scale which highlights the harmful effects of sending food waste to landfills and incinerators.
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Over one-third of the food produced in the United States goes uneaten, wasting the resources used to produce it. Unfortunately, a significant portion of this wasted food finds its way to landfills, where it breaks down and generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Wasted food is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the country, comprising 24% and 22% of landfilled and combusted municipal solid waste.
Anaerobic digestion’s prominent placement above composting and other methods in the Wasted Food Scale underscores its pivotal role in forging a more sustainable world. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biological process that breaks down organic materials, such as inedible food waste, in an oxygen-free environment. This safe, tested, proven technology turns organic food waste into clean, renewable natural gas, as well as a soil amendment that will be composted onsite to be used in agriculture, horticulture projects, community gardens and more. Working with municipal and state legislators, Bioenergy Devco designs, engineers, constructs, finances and operates commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facilities that empower local communities to simultaneously improve air, soil and watershed quality, create locally-sourced energy to power homes and businesses in the form of renewable natural gas, support sustainable agriculture and move towards a truly circular economy.
SOURCE : PRNewswire