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SO, WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE YACK,
AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTER, AND METHANE?
YOU DON'T KNOW?
WELL, THE ANSWER'S ELECTRICITY.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT HOW WASTE FOOD
FROM THE PURDUE RESIDENCE HALLS IS HELPING POWER THE WEST
LAFAYETTE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
AND I HOPE YOU'VE ALREADY EATEN,
BECAUSE THIS BYTE MIGHT BE A LITTLE UNAPPETIZING.
WHEN PURDUE STUDENTS EAT AT CAMPUS RESIDENCE HALLS,
THEY PROBABLY DON'T THINK
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR FOOD WASTE.
WHILE MOST FOOD WASTE ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS,
PURDUE UNIVERSITY HAS CREATED A PROGRAM THAT TURNS THAT WASTE
INTO ELECTRICITY FOR THE WEST LAFAYETTE WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT, LOCATED JUST OFF CAMPUS.
WE HAVE A NEW PARTNERSHIP ESTABLISHED THIS YEAR
BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY OF WEST LAFAYETTE,
AND THAT PARTNERSHIP INCLUDES THE FIVE DINING COURTS
ON THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS BRINGING THEIR FOOD WASTE,
THE GROUND PULP, OR YACK, MATTER, TO THE FACILITY HERE
IN WEST LAFAYETTE TO BE USED IN THEIR DIGESTER.
PREVIOUSLY, THAT YACK,
APPROXIMATELY 20 TONS A MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR,
WAS SIMPLY TAKEN TO THE LANDFILL.
I'M AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY IN WEST LAFAYETTE
WITH DAVE HENDERSON, THE UTILITY DIRECTOR.
NOW, DAVE, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE, THE PROCESS THAT'S GOING
ON BETWEEN YOU AND PURDUE?
WELL, WE'RE TAKING THE PULP MATTER, THE LEFTOVER FOOD WASTE
FROM THE DINING COURTS, AND PUTTING IT
IN OUR ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS AND USING
THAT TO PRODUCE METHANE GAS, WHICH IS BURNED
IN OUR MICROTURBINES TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY HERE AT THE PLANT.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING CALLED YACK.
COULD YOU MAYBE EXPLAIN TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE
THAT YOU GUYS CALL "YACK"?
THE YACK IS ACTUALLY THE LEFTOVERS THAT'S TAKEN OFF THE
TRAYS AT THE DINING COURTS.
IT'S WASHED INTO AN INDUSTRIAL FOOD GRINDER --
GARBAGE DISPOSAL, IF YOU WILL --
AND THEN IT'S TAKEN THROUGH A PULPER
THAT IS PUTTING THIS FOOD WASTE THAT'S AT THE CONSISTENCY
OF COLE SLAW INTO THESE CARTS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THE PLANT.
AND THE YACK IS PUT INTO THE RECEIVING TANK HERE
AND FED TO THE DIGESTERS.
NOW, WHAT'S THE BENEFITS THAT PURDUE
AND WEST LAFAYETTE GET FROM THIS PROGRAM?
WELL, PURDUE SAVES ON TIPPING FEES,
BECAUSE THE FOOD WASTE HAD BEEN GOING TO A LANDFILL.
THEY'RE ALSO A SHORTER TRIP, BRINGING THE FOOD WASTE HERE
TO THE WASTEWATER PLANT RATHER
THAN THE TIP TRANSFER STATION FOR THE LANDFILL.
AND WE'RE TAKING IN MORE WASTE.
MORE WASTE MEANS MORE POWER HERE AT THE WASTEWATER PLANT.
I THINK A LOT OF THE DINERS
WITHIN THE DINING COURTS WOULD BE PLEASED TO MAYBE BE EDUCATED
ON THIS PROCESS THAT YES, THEY'RE CREATING YACK,
WHICH IS A FOOD-WASTE BY-PRODUCT,
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS PURDUE IS SETTING THE STANDARD HIGH
FOR TAKING THIS INEVITABLE WASTE BY-PRODUCT
AND DOING A VERY GOOD THING WITH IT BY HELPING CREATE ELECTRICITY
FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY HERE IN WEST LAFAYETTE.
SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY DINING COURTS HERE,
THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY MAKE THE EFFORT TO USE ALL THE WASTE
FOR SOMETHING USEFUL INSTEAD OF JUST GOING TO A LANDFILL.
SO I THINK IT'S AWESOME
THAT THEY'RE USING IT FOR ENERGY PURPOSES.
I THINK THIS PROGRAM'S REALLY COOL, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT
OF PLANNING AND A LOT OF ENERGY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA,
AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING GREEN.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY?
REMEMBER, THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE EATING ON PURDUE'S CAMPUS,
TODAY'S SCRAP IS TOMORROW'S YACK.
FOR "BOILER BYTES," I'M KYLE CRAY.