Here at Brewer Science, we are striving to reach zero-landfill status. Our efforts in environmental responsibility include our mini-bin recycling program and our installation of efficient water and electrical fixtures. Our latest environmentally responsible venture involves a large metal container in our parking lot – a trash compactor we’ve affectionately named Big Blue.
This large, bright blue machine prevents approximately 30 tons of waste materials from ending up in landfills each year by turning the waste into energy. Big Blue fuels roughly four homes or 480 light bulbs per month. We partnered with Covanta to bring us Big Blue and transport our waste to a nearby waste-to-energy facility.
Covanta’s Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Process
Tossing waste such as packing materials, empty cardboard drums, food waste, and office waste from various areas of Brewer Science is just the beginning. Safe, technologically advanced facilities use the waste to generate clean and renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support recycling through the recovery of metals.
Once Big Blue is full, the waste is picked up and taken to an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility, which stores the waste inside a bunker. Inside the bunker, the waste is transferred to a combustion chamber, and then self-sustaining combustion is maintained at extremely high temperatures. The heat from combustion boils water, creating steam to drive a turbine that generates electricity. The ash from the combustion is sent to another area inside the bunker to separate and collect any metals remaining in the ash for recycling. The ash is used and then deposited in a landfill specifically intended for ash disposal, or the ash may be used as a cover material at a conventional landfill. Finally, all gases from inside the bunker are collected during the process, filtered, and then cleaned before being emitted into the atmosphere.
Initiatives such as this one help us remain a leading environmentally responsible company that can inspire our suppliers and customers to help local communities. This effort also makes it possible for us to create higher-quality products. Learn more about our practices and how you can benefit from becoming more environmentally responsible by contacting us at Brewer Science and checking back with our blog for more insights.