The Greening of Western Kentucky March, 2013 | Page 6

The GreeningNews and reviews

iRecycle: continued:

alternative purposes or given as rebates to taxpayers. In addition, landfill space is finite. It is crucial to maintain disposal levels to a manageable level. The more garbage disposed, the faster the landfill reaches capacity. This can mean adverse environmental effects and increased disposal rates. Reducing the amount of garbage deposited is a sound solution to all these problems, and recycling directly reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill.

Many major metropolitan areas have incentive or mandatory recycling programs instituted. The city of San Francisco, California, for example, requires all residents and households to separate their solid waste from recyclables and compostable material under the San Francisco Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance. Other large urban areas offer tax incentives and deductions for participating in recycling programs. Janes says that if the current trend of low recycling in the city continues, residents may either be required to recycle, or the iRecycle program itself may be reprieved of funding. “Public awareness and participation is crucial to making Madisonville’s recycling program a success,” Janes says. “It’s crucial for the younger generations to advocate for recycling and change current trends, parents are more likely to recycle if their children want to.”

It’s evident that Madisonville’s iRecycle program is a benefit to Madisonville, its residents, and the entire county as a whole. Recycling is a key step on the path to a sustainable future that few people realize the need for. Changes must be made if such a goal is to be achieved, and those changes start with public awareness and education. Recycling is becoming more manageable, affordable, and convenient as participation increases, and people must realize that it very well might be the key to unlocking a “green” future.

Anaerobic Digestion by Tyson Chicken

By: Michael Soder

Tyson Foods Incorporated is the world’s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork. Every week, its 54 chicken plants slaughter and package 42.5 million chickens, which are supplied from their 6,729 independent contracted chicken growers; some of these poultry farms can be found right here in Western Kentucky, such as in Muhlenburg County.

These 42.5 million chickens killed annually produce a vast amount of waste throughout their short lifetime and farmers are left with the question of what to do with this material. Prior to 2004, poultry litter was used as a cattle feed, so the tons of waste were just a bonus. However, that year, the Food and Drug Administration banned poultry litter as a cattle feed due to concerns of Mad Cow Disease, coupled with increased restrictions on land applications. Now, Tyson Food was left with tons of waste and no way to dispose of it.

Tyson is now currently researching and experimenting with anaerobic digestion, which is a collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. Through a series of steps, waste can be broken down, releasing methane, which can then be used to power machinery. However, this technique is not recommended for relatively dry material, such as poultry litter, so it would require the addition of a substantial amount of water to create a slurry. This process could provide Tyson with a way of disposing the hundreds of tons of poultry litter produced each year and would also save on energy costs due to the amount of methane that would be produced. Tyson is very hopeful to have anaerobic digestion a common practice in their chicken plants in the near future.