Is garbage thrown out by us automatically, almost unrealized, and the more so the few reflects, and where, actually, all of it is driven away by giant machine for transportation of garbage y, where does unload, and that takes a place then? And meantime, whole industry works on his processing, scientific researches are conducted, dissertations are written and scientific conferences are conducted. Conception of «zero offcuts» realizes slowly, but truly.
Burying, incineration, the repeated use
In the whole world, besides different illegal operations, exists three basic methods of processing of garbage is the controlled burying (landfiling), incineration in stoves - inseniratorakh for the receipt of energy (waste-to-energy), and the repeated use (recycling). The burial place of garbage to date is acknowledged by the most dangerous and harmful for an environment method: giant trash dumps are selected by the tons of methane, karbon of dioxide and other toxic matters, littering soil, underwaters and instrumental in destruction of ozone layer. And although a modern equipment allows to catch part of this gas and use him as a fuel, basic world tendency - on reduction of amount of burial places and development of high-tech of processing and repeated use of materials.
Incineration of city garbage causes an ambiguous polemic in the whole world and strong counteraction of ecological organizations. Inseneratory is dear, does not decide the problem of contamination of environment, secreting toxic matters in an atmosphere, and destroy resources in which human labour was once inlaid already. Certainly, garbage is burned in an order to decrease his amount and not bury all of volume in earth. But it however only the intermediate stage on a way to to the complete processing and transformation of garbage from «offcuts» in raw material or prepared market product.
To date in the world America leads on the amount of city offcuts. From data of US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for 2007, every American threw out more than 2 kilogram of garbage in a day, that made 254 million t/ies. It there is more average European approximately in two times. Greater part of this garbage, about 55%, still buries oneself in earth, 12% burned in inseneratorakh and only 33% utillized repeatedly. For comparison, the leader of industry of processing, Germany, utillizes the 70% offcuts repeatedly.
Partly such matter-position is related to that in America, as well as in Russia, a lot of free earth, and till recently the problem of garbage flustered nobody - he was simply buried. However, since 70th 20 ages, a public concern increases by the state of environment, a number of ecological motions, and words, appears as though «reduce, reuse, recycle» (reduce, utillize repeatedly, process) become the mantra of spinuping «green» motion. Result present: the amount of the processed and anew utillized materials in a country grew from 10% in 1980 to 33.4% in 2007. Numbers these are enough strongly varied on the states and depend on the closeness of population, from activity of guidance in advancement of new technologies, presence of finances and involved of population in the process of sorting of own garbage. An original fashionist and leader in the field of division of garbage is San Francisco - all of 68% city offcuts are processed and goes to the repeated use.
Organic garbage - almost third of all of offcuts
Garbage of organogenic is a main source of methane, destructive for an ozone layer -, makes, however, considerable part of city, production and especially agrowastes in a country. For example, the only mowed grass from pridomovykh areas and food offcuts make a fourth from the general volume of garbage, and packing cardboard and office paper - whole 34%.
In America, as well as in Europe, there is a number of legislative limits on burying of organiki. However soon will not bury garbage needs. At the correct going near business, organic garbage becomes a rich in oligoelementss fertilizer, alternative energy source, or build material.
Punching and anaerobic processing
Basic approach two is punching with access of oxygen, and anaerobic processing (without access of oxygen). Both methods exist in nature and utillized a timber-toe old times, but modern technologies allow to conduct these processes quick and in generous, «industrial» amounts.
The choice of one or another method depends on composition of the processed mass. For example, palaya foliage, food offcuts, the «green» offcuts of agriculture punch successfully, and sewages and dung from stock-raising farms expose to the anaerobic processing, catching appearing in the process of fermentation gas which serves as after a «green» energy source.
Punching of offcuts: enzymes co-star
If in natural terms a palaya foliage and arboreal crow-bar rot through for 3-7 years, on an industrial ticket-punch a process lasts from 2 to 10 weeks. At very large volumes - to semiyear. Biological mass preliminary clears up from foreign admixtures, ground down, and placed in the giant revolved drums on 24 hours for interfusion. Then this mass, already beginning to rot through, is laid in large compost ridges and saturated with the so-called «compost tea» - solution with rich maintenance of bacteria, necessary for creation of humus. Further a compost is repeatedly inverted and additionally irrigated water for the signup of bacteria and acceleration of process of biotdisintegration. Selected in the process of a heat sterilizes biomassu, killing all of possible pathogenic microbes. The compost of high quality got on an output is for a sale farmers, municipal workers engage in planting trees and shrubs and private individuals for the use on pridomovykh areas, and the liquid selected in the process of punching is a rich in oligoelementss fertilizer and is for a sale also (replacing more dear chemical fertilizers).
Greatest in the world ticket-punch
the greatest enterprise of similar specialization in North America, and possibly and in the world, is in Canadian Albert, in town Edmonton. Here apply the technique of the mixed punching - city offcuts are mixed up with the dry matter of sewages, and punch in the giant closed pavilion which is simultaneously the greatest are 14 hockey fields - building from stainless steel in the world. Such scales allow to process all of 60% biotoffcuts of Edmontona, make to 80 000 tons of compost in a year, and also to attract tourists and being curious from around the world.
Anaerobic processing of offcuts: hot details
the Controlled anaerobic processing of organic material takes a place in large reservoirs, and is a biochemical process in which a few types of bacteria co-operate and slit the organic matter of offcuts on oligoelementss and biogas. For the increase of activity of bacteria into a reservoir a high temperature is supported - to 70s, and what it is higher, the quick there is a process of disintegration. The gas got as a result of activity of bacteria in practice is mixture of gases most valuable from which is methane - makes from 55% to 80%, and utillized for creation of biopropellant and electric power. For example, the ton of food offcuts, processed thus, selects the amount of energy, sufficient for a supply and heating 10 houses during 24 hours.
Till recently, there was not a single enterprise of the anaerobic processing of city garbage in the United States. Their bulk is set on meat and milk farms, small on volume and serves for processing of animal dung, allowing to be delivered from an unpleasant smell. For the last 5-7 years, ecological and economic potential of this method was appraised in Europe and North America. In the world, where raw material unchanging rises in a price and closed extraordinary rates, the task of effective extraction and use of alternative energy becomes more vital. In this sense, the anaerobic processing is technology of the future and already today comes into all greater notice of investors. This technically-difficult and not cheapest method allows, nevertheless, to process yesterday's offcuts in the today's claimed and useful product (and even row of products), not inflicting a considerable damage an environment.
A resume
In basis of both technologies lies idea of imitation of natural processes, and this idea today actively scientists, researchers, environmentalists, support both in the USA and in the whole world. There is not a concept «garbage» in nature, they underline, offcuts of one organism are food to other. Conception of «zero offcuts» - production, consumption and second production - gradually included in everyday life of people and compels, throwing out something, to be more responsible. Today, in many countries the question of processing of one or another product is mortgaged in his design and choice of materials, and the habitants of large cities assort bottles, cleanings, and newspapers diligently.
Certainly, to the ideal yet far. But the economy of industry of processing changes gradually; new technologies in combination with efforts of environmentalists, political legislators, large businesses and ordinary citizens allow to hope on that we will come to quite another culture of consumption, to not such barbarian and selfish. Taking away so many at nature, something is necessary to give it, and then a process will be mutually harmonious.