bioenergy
Credit: JaneB/Big Stock Photo
South Korea's food waste recycling model turns leftovers into energy
South Korea has transformed its approach to food waste by recycling 98% of its scraps into compost, animal feed and renewable energy, offering lessons to other nations seeking sustainable waste management solutions.
In short:
- The Daejeon Bioenergy Center in South Korea processes 400 tons of food waste daily, turning it into biogas that powers about 20,000 homes.
- South Korea implemented strict policies 20 years ago, banning food scraps from landfills and requiring residents to separate and pay for food waste disposal.
- The success of this program stems from necessity, given South Korea’s high population density and lack of landfill space.
Key quote:
“It’s one of the biggest — and dumbest — environmental problems we have today.”
— Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown
Why this matters:
Food waste is a significant contributor to global emissions, exacerbating climate change. South Korea’s innovative model demonstrates the potential of comprehensive recycling systems in reducing food waste and generating renewable energy, inspiring other countries to adopt similar measures.
Keep reading...Show less
Why New York’s curbside composting program will yield hardly any compost
This week, New York City’s curbside organics collection effort debuts in Brooklyn, where tons of food scraps will be processed to help deliver un-fracked natural gas to local residences. Is this the best use of the city’s food waste?
Why New York’s curbside composting program will yield hardly any compost
This week, New York City’s curbside organics collection effort debuts in Brooklyn, where tons of food scraps will be processed to help deliver un-fracked natural gas to local residences. Is this the best use of the city’s food waste?
An Irish abbey where the grass is always warmer
In an effort to live sustainably, the sisters at St. Mary's Abbey not only use solar panels to warm their buildings but also a little-known but mighty form of elephant grass called miscanthus.
NC law makes electric utilities buy power from poultry waste
As the number of birds grown in North Carolina swells, it remains the only state that makes utilities buy power generated from poultry waste.
Newsletter
commons.wikimedia.org
Time to stop counting forest biomass as ‘renewable energy’
Phasing out forest biomass as ‘renewable energy’ would yield massive benefits in terms of air pollution and climate protection.
Newsletter
Joshua Miller/Flickr
Europeans are burning trees to keep warm
Sky-high energy prices have people turning to wood to provide a cheaper alternative—and EU laws are helping incentivize this.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
