ALLRECO technology reduces pollution from plastic particles in soil and water

Plastic packaging has become an integral part of oureveryday lives. They protect our food from loss of quality, extend the shelflife of food and, when used in the medical sector, they even save lives. However, incorrectly disposed plastic has been polluting our environment foryears. Plastic waste contaminates water and soil, threatening nature and thehabitats of animals and humans. This often serious environmental pollution withplastic particles can be significantly reduced with the help of ALLRECO technology.Both the screw press and the wind sifter convert waste of all kinds intolow-plastic fermentation substrate or compost that can be used as fertilizer.

‍

Contaminated waters

In 2018, an environmental scandal of considerableproportions rocked Schleswig-Holstein. Conservationists repeatedly foundthousands of plastic particles on the banks of the Schlei. Investigationsrevealed that the wastewater treatment plant of the Schleswig public utilitycompany was responsible for this environmental pollution. The cause was foundto be insufficiently unpacked food waste, which was used for co-digestion inthe sewage treatment plant's digestion tower together with the sewage sludge.

‍

New biowaste ordinance planned

Politicians took the environmental scandal as anopportunity to commission a uniform nationwide "concept for the proper andharmless recycling of packaged food waste". The draft concept from theFederal/State Working Group on Waste is the basis for the amendment to theGerman Biowaste Ordinance originally planned for 2020.

‍

ALLRECO technology protects soil and water

ALLRECO already offers the right solution forrecycling packaged food even before the amendment to the Biowaste Ordinancecomes into force. With our powerful and particularly robust screw press, userscan, for example, unpack packaged supermarket waste and process it togetherwith unpackaged food waste into a very clean fermentation substrate that isideal for biogas plants. Pre-shredding is not necessary for this.

Screw press processes food waste efficiently

Thanks to the gentle disintegration by two mixingshafts in the feed hopper, plastic packaging and bin liners are torn openwithout being shredded. The large pieces of plastic can be separated with thesolid phase in the subsequent separation process. In the case of pre-shredding,more plastic would be pressed out with the liquid phase and thus contaminatethe fermentation product. The pressing pressure is also deliberately kept lowin order to obtain a liquid fraction that is as plastic-free as possible. Thisis also confirmed by the analysis results of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamberof Agriculture, LUFA NRW. The clean fermentation product can then be safelyused as fertilizer without polluting nature with plastic residues.

‍

Low-plastic compost thanks to ALLRECO wind sifter

There is also an environmentally friendly solution forcomposting organic and green waste contaminated with plastic or the browngarbage can, which greatly reduces the impact of plastic waste on nature. Theefficient wind sifter processes both compost screen overflow and finishedcompost. Through two density separation steps, we obtain a medium fraction withclean compost, a heavy fraction with stones and glass and a light fraction inwhich plastics can be enriched. The result is a low-plastic compost that notonly complies with the Fertilizer Ordinance and can therefore be applied tofields and farmland, but is also well below the specified limits. Meanwhile,the light plastic-rich fraction can be recycled thermally.

‍

Only one solution to the problem

ALLRECO's screw press and air separator can help toreduce the contamination of soil and water with plastic particles. However,they are not a panacea. Our machines can efficiently separate compost andpackaged food waste from plastic residues and process them into valuablebiomass. However, the complex processing of compost, for example, is onlynecessary if the collected organic and green waste is heavily contaminated.Only what you would throw on your own compost heap and then spread on the bedsin your own garden belongs in the brown garbage can.

‍

The plastic particles fromwhich nature is thus protected could otherwise possibly decompose into smallerparticles due to environmental influences. However, the majority ofmicroplastics are produced by abrasion from car tires and clothing as well as avariety of other sources. Environmental pollution with plastics is a majorproblem in modern society. ALLRECO makes a valuable contribution to reducingthis environmental impact with its efficient machines.

‍

You are welcome to visit us on YouTube:

Machine description screw press https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-ios3hQHg

Your ALLRECO solution for biowaste treatment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJiz1D96jSY