Dive Brief:

• The “Bio Bus,” a bus powered only by organic waste (i.e., food scraps and human waste) debuted in England this week.
• The vehicle uses gas produced from the Bristol sewage treatment plant. Just one tank allows the bus to travel a distance of almost 200 miles, reducing the necessity for fossil fuels.
• GENeco, a sustainable waste recycling firm, installed the gas fueling facility and designed the bus, while the Bath Bus Company is in charge of operating it. The bus shuttles passengers from Bath to the Bristol Airport.

Dive Insight:

Such projects may just begin propping up in the U.S. In Missouri, a hog manure WTE facility is in the works that would convert animal waste into biogas via anaerobic digestion. The captured gas will be used for vehicle fuel or added to the grid system.

The company will also utilize grass and crops harvested between growing seasons. A system that has the capability to convert various agricultural wastes could prove beneficial in agricultural settings and could be used to successfully reduce waste volumes on farms. Add the Bio Bus or a manure recycling system into the mix and there’s the potential to save money or generate revenue from waste—and possibly achieve zero waste in the process. 

In August, the USDA released a plan that showed how 11,000 anaerobic digestion plants could effectively reduce emissions by using biogas as a fuel or for energy creation in the U.S.