Project description
Anaerobic digestion of airplane food waste
Airlines are a big source of food waste. According to the International Air Transport Association, airlines produced 5.2 million tonnes of waste in 2017, and the figure is set to double by 2030. While the statistic includes a host of disposable products, around 20 % is directly linked to the food service and another 20 % to packaging plastic waste. An additional important source of waste is wastewater from toilets. The EU-funded DIGESTAIR project is investigating the use of anaerobic digestion – microorganisms breaking down food waste in the absence of oxygen, removing pathogens and producing methane at the same time – to further improve onboard waste management. If successful, it will significantly reduce the environmental impact of passengers and will allow much more competitive management of Category 1 waste generated on international flights. The DIGESTAIR solution will be transferable to other sectors like cruisers and sea transport.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioreactors
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste management
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
CS2-RIA - Research and Innovation action
Coordinator
20018 San Sebastian
Spain
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Participants (1)
28906 Getafe Madrid
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