October 16, 2013

Research Institute Uses Food and Paper Waste for Energy

A recent story published in The New Indian Express shows how organizations and institutions can use paper waste to reduce their costs. The Institute of Wood Science and Technology has implemented a plan to transform waste paper and food scraps into biogas on their campus.

The research institute studies forest health and timber applications, so paper conservation has always been a priority for the Bangalore-based organization. With the new plan, waste is collected in special bins on roughly 85 buildings on the campus. The food is then processed onsite into biogas and stored for later use.

With the gas, the Institute of Wood Science and Technology is able to produce enough fuel to power the appliances in the campus cafeteria. Yard waste collected by the maintenance facility is also processed for biogas. In the future, the institute may expand the scheme to include more waste, as currently only 10 percent of their kitchen waste is being turned into gas.