Zero Waste Energy and Blue Line Transfer awarded 2015 Innovator of the Year

Zero Waste Energy (ZWE), Lafayette, California, and Blue Line Transfer Inc., South San Francisco, California, were announced as the recipient of the National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NWRA’s) 2015 Recycling Equipment Innovator of the Year for its Blue Line Biogenic CNG Facility atWaste360 Recycling Summit. The award recognizes recycling equipment designers and manufacturers that successfully challenge and advance recycling sector operations through innovation in design and manufacturing that increases the effectiveness or efficiency of recycling equipment and operations.

According to the companies, the Blue Line Biogenic CNG facility is the country’s first dry anaerobic digestion (AD) facility that converts biomethane into compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel the collection vehicles that collected the organic material. This unique closed-loop system transforms 11,200 tons of food and green waste per year into biogenic compressed natural gas (CNG), produces heat to run the operations and provides high-quality compost. The facility can produce up to 120,000 diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) per year of carbon negative biogenic CNG—enough to fuel up to 18 of Blue Line sister company, South San Francisco Scavenger’s collection vehicles.

Each vehicle collects enough organic waste during just one route to fuel it for an entire day, creating a true closed-loop system and the first project of its kind in the United States. Based on current projections of the amount of fuel the dry-AD Facility produces for its CNG fleet, SSF Scavengers plans to achieve a 43 percent reduction in emissions from its entire fleet of vehicles.

“This facility pioneers the future of organic waste processing by converting a former waste product into a fuel source for trucks while also producing quality compost. This system presents an ideal environmental model for the future of waste processing, proving that it is economically possible by producing renewable CNG that exceeds anticipated levels”, said Eric Herbert, CEO of ZWE, project developer and technology provider for the facility.

“The Blue Line Biogenic CNG Facility has given the ability to reduce the organics going into the landfill by converting that same waste into CNG fuel that powers our collection routes…a true closed loop system. It’s good for us, the cities we serve, and California”, said Doug Button, president of South San Francisco Scavenger, Co. Inc. “We are proud to be leaders in our industry and to be recognized with this honor.”

ZWE designs, builds and operates integrated solid waste processing facilities throughout the Americas and Asia. The company offers mixed solid waste processing and patented AD systems for conversion of organic waste into renewable energy and clean compost.

South San Francisco Scavenger Company (SSFSC) and Blue Line Transfer Inc. are family-owned companies that have been providing solid waste and recycling services to local communities since 1914. SSFSC provides a full range of pre- and post-collection services to assure efficient, responsive, and hands-on waste management in the face of rapidly changing regulatory and environmental challenges. Since its inception it has been on the cutting-edge of the latest advances in waste management technology and service.

A video of the award-winning facility can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcjAgEYoFJE. More information on ZWE and the technology used in the Blue Line Transfer facility, visit www.zerowasteenergy.com.