It takes a couple of years for biodegradable products and more than a hundred for nonbiodegradable ones to completely decompose in landfills.

1. Converting Waste
into Useful
Materials
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2. It takes a couple of years for biodegradable products and more than a hundred
for nonbiodegradable ones to completely decompose in landfills. Chemical
waste, on the other hand, does not only take long to decompose – it is also
toxic to the environment.
Fortunately, institutions and companies are making efforts to reduce all the
kinds of waste that go to landfills by finding better uses for trash.
Waste as Plant Food
The California Safe Soil (CSS) converts nutrient-rich waste food into liquid
fertilizer. According to Dan Morash, founder of CSS, the fertilizer “adds organic
matter to the root zone of crops and stimulates the growth of beneficial soil
microbes,” generating growth.
The waste enters a series of grinding processes then goes into a ribbon-blender
digester. Enzymes are then added to the waste to break down the existing
substance into amino acids, simple sugars, and fatty acids. The final product
contains oil and water-based nutrients with phosphoric acid, perfect for
fertilizing the roots of farm crops. Once the workers gather the solid portion of
the waste, they use it for pig feed.

3. Biomanufacturing
Many opportunities are open for both biodegradable and nonbiodegradable
waste to find life again, either through reusing or recycling. For chemical waste,
on the other hand, it is a much more difficult situation.
Bio-medical waste has plants located far from the cities because of its tendency
to poison any living organism that it touches. Engineers from the Rice
University found better ways to handle chemical waste and discovered how to
reuse them for profit.
Ramon Gonzalez, a researcher from the university, considered
biomanufacturing as a way to make use of chemical waste produced by
industries.
“The industrial side aims at generating molecules that are produced these days
from many feedstocks, including oil and natural gas,” Gonzalez said.

4. Gonzalez and his team plan to expand their small plant by putting up several
others that have the same aim: minimize waste. Scientists are hopeful that
Gonzalez serves as an example to future factory owners and engineers to
consider their surroundings when dealing with waste.
Resources:
http://www.envirocarehazmat.com
http://phys.org/news/2017-01-smaller-chemical-production.html
http://www.chemengonline.com/this-process-converts-organic-food-waste-to-
liquid-fertilizer-2/?printmode=1
http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/bio-medical-waste-4/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/futility-recycling-ocean-plastic-
180961607/