Chapter: Waste management

Topic:Two peas in a PoD? Food and Farm CoDigestion

The co-treatment of food and farm waste has become popular across Europe but the UK
governments position on this is unclear. So what is it waiting for? Professor Charles
Banks looks at the use of centralized hubs to distribute food waste for co-digestion on
farms.
Sustainable management of biowastes is currently a major issue in the UK and across
Europe. One of the main drivers for this is the requirement under the EU Landfill
directive (99/31/EC) for diversion of biodegradable wastes, due to their potential for
greenhouse gas emissions. There is also growing awareness of the resource recovery
potential of these materials, and of the economic benefit in managing them through the
anaerobic digestion route. The European Commission estimates that about one third of
the EUs 2020 target for renewable energy in transport could be met using biogas
produced from biowaste. While around 2% of the overall EU renewable energy target
could be met if all biowaste was converted to energy, with further economic gains from
the associated recycling and waste prevention policies.
Of the biowastes available for anaerobic digestion (AD), food waste is currently
attracting most attention in the UK. A number of digesters are already being built
specifically for the treatment of this material. The concept of centralized anaerobic
digester receiving and treating biowastes from different sources is now becoming
familiar. At present the financial returns of this approach may be increased by operating
at a larger scale. In a centralized system, income both from the gate fees for accepting the
food waste and from the sale of energy, including any renewable energy premium, goes to
the plant owner or operator. At present farmers are usually asked to accept digestates
without any fee, although spreading of the material may be carried out at no cost.
It is not difficult to imagine that this situation could change, with increases in the number
of operational digesters leading to a reduction in gate fees and an increase in material for

disposal. There is also competition for the available land area due to the need to dispose
of biosolids from wastewater treatment, and from the growing number of composting
plants. Other models for food waste management could potentially offer a more robust
and sustainable approach, by taking into account benefits from improved nutrient
management and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and also offering the
opportunity to recover energy from a greater proportion of the total biomass resource
available.
According to a survey carried out by WRAP, about 8,3 million tonnes of household food
waste is generated in the UK each year, equal to only a small fraction of the total waste
biomass. By far the largest tonnage is in the form of animal slurry and manure, with UK
annual production estimated at around 80 to 90 million tonnes out of a European total of
1.25 billion tonnes. The biogas production potential of these wastes is relatively low,
partly as a result of their high water content, with slurry from dairy cows giving only
about 20 m3 per tonne compared to around 150 m3 per tone of food wastes. The low
energy yield means that AD of manures and slurries from dairy cattle has never been
economically attractive in Europe , as is demonstrated by very small number of digesters
found on farms of this type.
However, the digestion of cattle slurry can make a major contribution to targets for
reduction of GHG emissions, which in the EU 27 in 2008 were estimated to be 50.26
million tones CO2 equivalent from manure management alone, with about 21% of this
coming from dairy cattle. Digestion of this material may also improve its fertilizer
properties by making plant nutrients more available, and adds a further barrier to the
spread of animal diseases.
There are thus some strong arguments for encouraging the use of AD to treat animal
manures, and one way in which this can be achieved is by promoting co-digestion with
other energy-rich substrates. Successful examples of this approach already exist in
Europe. The UK governments position on this however, is not entirely clear. It has said it
does not intend to encourage the widespread cultivation of crops specifically for energy
production through AD, and that it will review the current feed-in tariff if there is a rapid
expansion in crop digestion.
There is also a clear indication from the UK government that it would like to promote the
use of anaerobic digesters on farms to treat animal manures, but no mechanism has
currently been proposed on how to achieve this. To make on-farm slurry digestion
economic by offering a specific incentive would mean doubling or even tripling the
current feed-in tariff, however, this is unlikely to be an attractive option in the existing
financial climate.

Prevod teksta
Odrivo upravljanje biolokim otpadom je trenutno jedan od najvanijih pitanja u Velikoj
Britaniji i irom Evrope. Jedan od osnovnih razloga za ovo je odredba u okviru evropke
Direktive o deponijama (99/31/EC) za drugaije upravljanje biorazgradivim otpadom,
zbog njegove mogunosti da isputa gas koji dovodi do efekta staklene bate. Postoji i se
vea svest o obnovljivim potencijalima ovih materijala i ekonomskoj dobiti koja bi
proistekla od njihovog upravljanja ka procesu anaerobne digestije. Evropska komisija
procenjuje da bi oko jedne treine cilja Evropske unije za 2020 godinu za obnovljive
izvore energije u saobraaju bila postignuta korienjem biogasa dobijenog od biootpada.
Oko 2% ukupnog cilja Evropske unije za obnovljive izvore energije bi se dobilo kada bi
se sav bioloki otpad pretvorio u energiju,sa dodatnim ekonomskim dobitima proisteklim
iz reciklae i politike prevencije nastanka otpada.
Od svog biolokog otpada pogodnog za anaerobnu digestiju (AD), prehrambeni otpad
trenutno privlai najvie panje u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu. Odreeni broj svarivalaca za
tretiranje ovog materijala se ve gradi. Koncept centralizovanog anaerobnog svarivalca
koji prima i tretira bioloki otpad iz razliitih izvora sada postaje poznat. Finansijska
dobit proistekla ovim pristupom se sada moe poveati poveajnem obima rada. U
centralizovanom sistemu, prihod od naplate za prijem prehrambenog otpada i prodaje
energije, ukljuujui premiju za bilo koji od obnovljivih izvora energije, ide vlasniku
postrojenja ili rukovaocu. Trenutno se od poljoprivrednika najee trai da prihvate
svarivalce bez ikakve naknade iako se irenje materijala moe vriti bez trokova.
Nije teko zamisliti da se ova situacija moe promeniti porastom broja funkionalnih
svarivalaca koji bi vodio ka smanjenju naplate za prijem otpada i veoj koliini
materijala za odlaganje. Takoe , postoji nadmetanje za raspoloive zemljine povrine
nastalo usled potrebe da se odloi mulj nastao tretiranjem otpadnih voda i poveanjem
broja postrojenja za kompostiranjem. Drugi modeli za upravljanje prehrambenim
otpadom bi, uzimanjem u obzir prednosti nastale usavrenijim upravljanjem hranljivim
materijama , redukovanom emisijom gasa koji dovodi do efekta staklene bate (GHG) i
pruanjem mogunosti da se nadoknadi energija veeg opsega od ukupne raspoloive
biomase, potencijalno mogli ponuditi jasniji i odriviji pristup.
Prema anketi sprovedenoj od strane WRAP (Waste Reduction Award Program), oko 8
300 000 tona prehrambenog otpada godinje nastane u domainstvima u Ujeninjenom
Kraljevstvu, to je tek mali deo ukupnog otpada biomase. Ubedljivo najvea koliina
otpada je u obliku fekalnih voda i ubriva ivotinjskog porekla , sa procenjenom
godinjom koliinom od 80 do 90 tona u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu, od evropskih ukupno
1 250 000 000 tona. Potencijal za proizvodnju biogasa od ovog otpada je relativno nizak,
delimino kao rezultat njihovog visokog sadraja vode; fekalne vode mlenih krava daju
samo oko 20 m3 po toni u odnosu na oko 150 m3 po toni prehrambenog otpada. Mali
energetski doprinos znai da AD (anaerobna digestija) fekalnih voda i ubriva mlenih
goveda nikada nije bila ekonomski privlana u Evropi, to je primetno po veoma malom
broju svarivalaca na farmama ovog tipa.

Ipak, digestija stonih fekalnih voda moe imati veliki doprinos za smanjenje emisije
GHG, za koji se procenjuje da je u 27 zemalja Evropske unije 2008.godine iznosio 50
260 000 tona ugljen-dioksida samo od stajskog ubriva,od ega je oko 21% od mlenih
goveda. Digestija ove materije moe poboljati svojstva ubriva inei hranljive materije
za biljke dostupnim i umanjujui irenje bolesti ivotinja.
Postoje dakle jaki argumenti za podsticanje upotrebe anaerobne digestije za tretiranje
ivotinjskog ubriva, a jedan od naina na koji se ovo moe postii je promovisanje
kodigestije sa drugim energetski bogatim supstratima. Uspeni primeri ovakvog pristupa
ve postoje u Evropi. Ipak, stav vlade Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva o ovom pitanju nije u
potpunosti jasan. Vlada je izjavila da ne namerava da podstakne rasprostranjeno gajenje
useva namenjenih iskljuivo za proizvodnju energije putem AD i da e ispitati postojee
naknade za proizvoae obnovljivih izvora energije ako doe do brze ekspanzije digestije
useva.
Postoji, takoe, jasna naznaka vlade Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva da e promovisati upotrebu
anaerobnih digestora na farmama za tretiranje stajskog ubriva, ali nikakav nain za
postizanje ovoga trenutno nije predloen. Ekonomina digestija fekalnih voda nuenjem
odreenog stimulansa bi znaila dvostruko ili ak trostruko veu naknadu za proizvoae
obnovljivih izvora energije, meutim, ovo teko da je privlana opcija u trenutnoj
finansijskoj situaciji.

Nepoznate rei:
Sustainable(adj.)- able to continue without causing damage to the enviarment- odrzivog
Biodegradable (adj.) - something that is biodegradable breaks down naturally without any
special scientific treatment, and can there fore be thrown away without causing pollutionkoji se raspada bakterijskim putem
Anaerobic (adj.) not needing oxygen in order to live bezvazdusan
Digestion (n) the process of digesting food varenje,probava,digestija
Plant (n) a factory or building where on industrial process happens- postrojenje fabrika
Gate fees (n) the charge taken for the quantity of waste at a waste processing facilitynaknada za prijem otpada
Disposal (n) when you get rid of something- odstanjivanje
Composting (adj.) a mixture of decayed plants leaves etc used to improve the quality of
soil- kompostiranje
Nutrient (n) a chemical or food that provides what is needed for plants or animal to live
ond grow-hranivo za ishranu ,hranljive materije
Survey (n) a set of questions that you ask a large number of people in order to find out
about their opinions-ispitivanje, izvestaj
Slurry (n) a mixture of water and mud ,animal waste-mesavina vode I blata cesto
nazivana malter
Manure (n) waste matter from animals that is mixed with soil to improve the soil and
helps plants grow-djubrivo

Yield (n) to supply or produce something positive such as a profit , an amount of food
or information- prinos,rad
Fertilizer (n) a natural or chemical substrance witch is spread on the land or given to
plants,to make plants grow well podjubrivanje ,bacanje djubriva
Substrate (n) a substance or surface which an organism grow and lives on and is
supported by- podloge
Cultivation (n) the preparation and use of land for growing cops
kultivacija,obradjivanje
Feed-in (n) the policy designed for encouraging investment in renewable energy-politika
za obnovljivu energiju
Incentive (n) something that ancourages you to work harder, start a new activitypodsticaj

Abbreviations:
WRAP- waste and resources action programme
GHG- greenhouse gas
PITANjA I ODGOVORI
1. What is the major issue in the UK and across Europe?
Answer: the major issue is the sustainable management of biowastes
2. What is the European commission estimates for the 2020.year?
Answer: commission estimates that about one third of the EUs 2020 target for renewable
energy in transport could be met using biogas produced from biowaste.
3. How much of the overall renewable energy target could be met if all biowaste was
converted to energy?
Answer: while around 2%
4. Witch waste is currently attracting most attention in the UK?
Answer: food waste
5. What is the GHG emission?
Answer: the GHG emission is the emission of the greenhouse gas
6. How much tones of household food waste generated in the UK each year?
Answer: about 8,3 million tones each year equal to only a small fraction of the total
waste biomass.
7. In witch form is the largest tonnage of biowaste?
Answer: by far the largest tonnage is in the form of animal slurry and manure.
8. The digestion of cattle slurry can make a major contribution to targets for reduction of
GHG emissions, witch in the EU 27 in 2008 were estimated to be how much tones?
Answer: 50.26 million tones CO2 equivalent from manure management alone, with about
21% of this coming from dairy cattle.
9. What is the UK governments position on this question?
Answer: It has said it does not intend to encourage the widespread cultivation of corps
specifically for energy production through AD, and that it will review the current feed-in
tariff if there is a rapid expansion in crop digestion.

10. Is there a indication from the UK government about promoting AD?

Answer: there is a clear indication from government that it would like to promote the use
of anaerobic digesters on farms to treat animal manures, but no mechanism has currently
been proposed on how to achieve this