Converting Food Waste to Energy in Los Angeles (Best Poster Design Winner)

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SANDRA CABALLERO CLIENT: DONT WASTE LA CAMPAIGN (LAUREN AKIAM & JACKIE CORNEJO) ADVISOR: MICHAEL STENSTROM

SPOILED

The Rotten World of Food Waste WHAT’S THE BIG PROBLEM?

Food waste is a serious concern. The average person wastes a third of all food they purchase. At the regional level, food waste comprises over 40% of municipal solid waste. At present, food waste is disposed of at landfills and despite a high diversion rate, Los Angeles lacks a city-wide organic collection program.

DONT WASTE LA CAMPAIGN

The City of Los Angeles has proposed the aggressive goal of Zero Waste and recently launched a franchise hauling program. Dont Waste LA aims to continue the momentum by including food waste in the conversation. Food Waste to Energy is a process that converts food waste to biogas and energy.

RESEARCH QUESTION What best practices and emerging solutions can Los Angeles learn from food waste to energy programs employed by other cities?

COMPARATIVE FINDINGS

THE PROCESS ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

OAKLAND, CA East Bay MUD

BENEFITS OF FOOD WASTE TO ENERGY?

Bacteria

Developing an organics collection program has the potential to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, public health issues, general waste collection frequency, increase renewable energy production in Los Angeles, and provide nutrients to our soil.

Food Waste

Biogas

Heat Compost Fertilizer

METHODOLOGY

Electricity

Transport Fuel

This research draws findings from three case studies of model food waste to energy city-level programs: East Bay MUD in Oakland CA, Newtown Creek in Brooklyn NY and MSWM in Oslo, Norway. Each program varies in extensivity as food waste to energy is a fledgling urban initiative. Of the three, Oslo’s program is the most extensive. The factors examined for each case study include the following: political, economic, and social; political strategy for collection reform, policies for infrastructure, finance program, labor engagement and outreach.

BROOKLYN, NY Newtown Creek

OSLO, NORWAY MSWM

CASE STUDIES Lessons for Los Angeles

COLLECTION Procedure Policy

INFRASTRUCTURE Existing New

FINANCE Public/Pirvate Private

LABOR Contract Union

EDUCATION Outreach Participation

RECOMMENDATIONS

Commit to the most rigorous definition of Zero Waste. Include food waste into waste diversion metrics.

Standardize waste collection servies and roll out an organics collection program. Retrofit existing anaerobic digestion infrastructure to include food waste. Assess the Los Angeles food waste landscape and target food waste “hot spots.” Continue effort to target overall waste reduction at consumption levels.

ADVANTAGES Los Angeles has anaeorbic digestion infrastructure that can be activated to capture food waste energy. East Bay MUD uses wastewater infrastructure for food waste to energy.

SMART SYSTEMS

DISADVANTAGES Food waste to energy programs do not address exessive waste generation. Oslo, however has low per capita waste rates and remains a food waste to energy leader.

ADVANTAGES The majority of waste that goes to landfills in Los Angeles is food waste, this waste can be diverted and converted into energy to power residential businesses and commercial sectors.

CYCLICAL METABOLISM

DISADVANTAGES Waste to energy facilities are expensive to construct; projects tend to be heavily subsidized by government. Projects tend to have low return on investment without gov. support.

CLEAN ENERGY


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