| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.01 |
| Liaison | Meghna Tare |
| Submission Date | April 3, 2022 |
University of Texas at Arlington
IN-50: Innovation D
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Meghna
Tare Director Office of Sustainability |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
A University of Texas at Arlington environmental engineering professor is helping the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) determine how much more energy can be generated by diverting food waste from landfills to anaerobic food digesters.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)awarded NCTCOG $300,000 in funding to help reduce food waste. Melanie Sattler, professor in the Civil Engineering Department, is leading the UT Arlington effort.
The North Central Texas Organic Waste to Fuel Feasibility Study is a coordinated effort between the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to explore the potential for organic waste, anaerobic digestion, and renewable natural gas (RNG) technologies in the region. This study is supported by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The region of North Central Texas is growing rapidly in population, and the parallel growth in waste generation is straining the region’s landfills and wastewater treatment facilities. As this growth continues, waste diversion efforts become increasingly important to both retain landfill capacity and reduce methane emissions associated with landfills and wastewater treatment. To address this challenge, NCTCOG has undertaken a study to explore the expansion of anaerobic digestion facilities in the region. The goal of this study is to identify future pilot projects throughout the region to divert residential and commercial food waste and wastewater biosolids and to generate RNG as a source of vehicle fuel. This study will utilize research from UTA’s Center for Transportation Equity, Decisions and Dollars (CTEDD) and its Food & Flora Waste to Fleet Fuel (F4) Framework model.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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