SOUTH AFRICA - Cape Town - Shopping Mall turns food waste into energy (video) (vic)

The Waste Transformer, an anaerobic digester, is fed everyday with food waste, which is not fit for consumption anymore. The waste is shredded and transformed into biogas. The biogas is used to generate clean electricity which is fed back into the mall to power its operations. The residual heat will be used for hot water on the mall. Whilst the recovered nutrients in the waste, will be turned into a fertiliser that will be used for the landscaping on the premises to keep the gardens green and fed. Every year, South Africa produces approximately 10 million tonnes of food waste. N1 City Mall wants to make a positive contribution towards tackling the problem of food waste, thereby reducing the pressure on landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recovering valuable nutrients in the waste for recycling. The solution chosen was an on-site transformation of the organic waste into value. N1 City Mall has placed a small-scale Waste Transformer next to their waste collection hub at the back of the shopping mall. Video: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) (vic)