Prisons face a distinct food waste challenge: every vehicle movement in or out of the site is a security risk, and current UK regulations rule out draining food waste through macerators or waste-to-water systems.
The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer addresses both at once. It dries food waste on site into a sterile powder, cutting the number of waste collection vehicle movements and wheelie bins by 80% or more, while meeting the separation requirements now in force across the UK. It's already supplied to prisons directly and through facilities management contracts including Serco, helping lower collection costs, reduce odour and vermin risk, and keep waste movement around the site to a minimum.
Many open prisons have their own gardens and can use the dry matter on their grounds mixed in with soil/compost as a additive. But for prisons in cities with limited grounds, drying food waste is a perfect option.
Alternative technologies such as waste-to-water systems and macerators are either banned. This is because they discharge food waste, in either solid or liquid form into drains. The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer has an important role to play in improving the environmental footprint of the prison estate.
The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer is already in use in many UK prisons. They have been supplied both directly or through facilities management contracts (e.g. Serco).
Knowing the weight of food waste produced daily is key to deciding which model of food waste dryer is right for your operation. For example, the ES150 has a maximum capacity of 100kg per day. If your weight is close to this or peaks above this the you should consider a larger unit or splitting the volume across two smaller units.
Another consideration is the kitchen operational hours. The drying cycle is typically 13-16 hours depending on how full it was at the start of the cycle. Most kitchens want to load new food waste as it is produced so having two smaller units will allow one unit to be drying, while the other is loaded. For example, a kitchen that produces 150kg per day could choose one ES300 unit (maximum load 200kg). If the machine is loaded and switched on at 7pm, it would be ready to empty (lasting approximately 15 minutes) at approximately 10am.
Alternatively, you could use two ES150 models (100kg maximum each); one for breakfast and lunch waste, starting the cycle around 2pm; this cycle would finish around 5am, ready to be emptied and be available for loading as soon as the kitchen opens. The other unit could take all the afternoon and dinner waste, being switched on at say 9pm, with the cycle finishing at 12 noon, ready to receive the afternoon waste.
The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer is made from high specification stainless steel. All units are have locking castors so can be pushed into position. All you need is a power supply nearby and a standard sink drain (see Installation and Commissioning). It is easy to use, with simple on/off and discharge buttons and high specification RFID interlock sensors. Just load the food waste, close the lid and press the start button - the process is automatic.
