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BIO-GASThey say that one man's trash is another man's treasure, and now it’s also another’s power.

Garbage collection comes at a high cost, environmentally speaking, due to the colossal amount of fossil fuels trash trucks require. But what if their load became their power as well?

The city of Toronto is in the process of converting their entire garbage truck fleet to run on Biogas. Their newly-constructed Dufferin Solid Waste Management Facility is state-of-the-art, and it uses anaerobic digestion to convert food scraps and other compostables, into Bio-gas. It then transforms it into renewable natural gas called RNG. RNG can then be injected into the natural gas grid and be used to fuel vehicles, provide electricity, and heat homes and businesses.

According to city officials, RNG generated from food waste is actually considered to be carbon-negative. The amount of RNG burned is offset by the savings of traditional fossil fuel and by keeping organics out of the landfill.

In March of 2020, 170 Toronto garbage trucks will run their pickup routes on a mixture of standard natural gas and RNG. Eventually they’ll go full RNG once the pilot program has worked out any kinks.

Trash trucks will pick up and deliver food scraps to the waste facility and then immediately fill up their fuel tanks with RNG before heading out to collect more trash. The trucks will essentially be fueled by what they pick up, creating a constant supply of fuel.

This closed-loop, renewable energy project is one of the first of its kind in Canada and North America. It's also a double win, allowing Toronto to reduce its carbon footprint and save money on fuel at the same time.

The project is part of the city's Long-Term Waste Management Strategy, which strives to save energy by creating it, while reducing carbon emissions, which leads to a healthier world for us all. ####

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