An ELI, BioCycle, and American Biogas Council Co-Sponsored Public Webinar
An estimated 35% of food that is produced is uneaten, with losses occurring along the supply chain from farms to consumers. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG) with at least 25 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. Many municipalities and organizations are beginning to prioritize diverting food waste from landfills by either preventing waste, rerouting edible food to the nearly 14 million food insecure households, or recycling waste through composting, animal feeding operations, or anaerobic digestion.
Of these recycling methods, anaerobic digestion (AD) – a process in which microorganisms break down organic material and create biogas and digestate that can be turned into valuable renewable energy or soil amendment and nutrient products – has substantial potential, but is still in the early stages of development and implementation in the United States.
What is the current status of AD as a recycling option for food scraps? What are the opportunities and challenges in diverting food waste from landfills to AD facilities? What policies and programs would support further development of AD facilities for food scraps? Join the Environmental Law Institute, BioCycle, American Biogas Council and leading experts as they explore these questions and seek solutions to diverting food waste from landfills and recycling to create valuable products through AD.
Panelists:
Carol A. Jones, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
John Hanselman, CEO, Vanguard Renewables
Julia Levin, Executive Director, Bioenergy Association of California
Mark McDannel, Manager, Energy Recovery Engineering, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
Melissa Pennington, Sustainability Coordinator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Materials:
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