Environmental Healthcare ...
(Continued from page 39)
waste management practices, healthcare providers must understand
their waste profile, i.e., volume of waste produced, natural resource
consumption, transportation and sanitation costs, carbon footprint,
energy efficiency (consumption/generation) and other related
auxiliary costs.
Lifespans are lengthening while our quality of life diminishes as
we generate insurmountable volumes of waste compromising our
health, environment and our future. The story of this environmental
impact is being told through greenhouse gas emissions, high carbon
footprints and the reduction of clean water resources and fertile
land. America is producing waste faster than it can be productively
integrated without harm to the environment. We have, however,
reached a critical mass and the landscape of the solid waste
management industry is evolving. Clean energy investments and
greenhouse gas reduction technologies along with waste recovery
and incentives for waste reduction are proving their worth. Creating
a sustainable food supply chain is a stated goal for New York State.
This includes the management of resources to thwart hunger, climate change, resource
scarcity and foster economic growth, while New York City recently announced
mandates for large generators of food scraps to implement recovery systems for food
and organic waste.
Innovation is at the helm of transforming waste to energy. The introduction of new
products and services, creating new markets and identifying revenue streams will help
stimulate a more sustainable economy. The science exists to support the conversion of
food and organic waste into resources for use in road construction, landscaping and
soil erosion, composting, biofuel, biochar, animal feed and other green infrastructure
projects toward development of a clean, green and more circular economy.
For healthcare, planned communities and assisted living facilities where food service
is an integral part of the client experience and a required expense, on-site food and
organic waste reduction can be an efficient, cost saving measure worthy of consideration.
The Ecovim™ food and organic waste reduction technology is such an innovation. The
Ecovim™ processing capacity ranges from 66-3,300 pounds. Through a proprietary
process utilizing dehydration and mechanical agitation, Ecovim™ units reduce and
convert food and organic waste 70-90 percent on-site, within a 24 hour processing
cycle. The units do not require water, enzymes, additives or wood chips for processing
and can be installed indoors or outdoors (with protective covering). The resulting
environmentally friendly by-products are soil amendment and potable water.
(See Environmental Healthcare on page 41)
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