Understanding Organic Waste

What is organic waste?

Put simply, organic waste is made up of natural compounds from plants and animals. Such waste can be produced by households, industry and agriculture. It follows that if these resources, including paper and cardboard, food, garden waste and animal wastes, occur naturally the organic waste can then be easily broken down and returned to the land. There are a number of sources of organic waste as outlined in the diagram below:

How are organic wastes currently managed?

Traditionally, organic waste was disposed of by burying it in large holes known as landfills or by spreading it on land as fertiliser. Current policy and legislation means that such waste now needs to be treated differently with a phasing out of these practices. Organic waste can also be used to produce renewable bio-fuels which can be used to generate renewable energy. Each year, Northern Ireland produces 11.6 million tonnes of organic waste which could be converted to heat and electricity to power over 200,000 homes locally. There is huge potential for the use of organic waste to be used in more environmentally sustainable ways.

What organic waste does Linergy use?

Linergy processes organic waste from meat processing plants and fallen animals. The organic waste includes by-products from food processing partners including Linden Foods, Dunbia and Fane Valley. Much of this material is subject to stringent legislation which requires it to be treated in a controlled thermal process, from which renewable bio-mass fuels are produced.

What organic waste will Linergy use in the future?

Linergy is currently working closely with B9 Energy to explore ways in which other types of organic waste can be converted to renewable energy. This would involve using wet wastes such as sludges and food waste. B9 Energy will use the latest environmentally sustainable technology to convert these organic wastes into renewable energy. To learn more about B9 Energy and anaerobic digestion please click here.