GHG Emissions  -  February 24, 2021

University of Nebraska Lincoln expands biodigester program

University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) announced on Feb. 24 that it is taking additional steps toward increasing its sustainability by ordering two more biodigesters for its dining halls. The university installed its first biodigester in 2019 and a second in 2020. Combined, the food digesters have diverted more than 98,000 lb of food waste from landfills and reduced UNL's carbon footprint by 185 tons of CO2 emissions.

Previously, the disposal of food waste at UNL followed a complex path in which the waste was hauled away by custodial staff, loaded onto a truck, and dumped in a landfill where it would produce greenhouse gases. Power Knot’s LFC biodigesters help the university work toward its sustainability goals. 

"For our sustainability goals, it just makes sense. We don't have the ability to have a big compost pile anywhere close, and composting involves a lot of labor, so this seems to be the next best thing," said Dave Annis, director of UNL’s dining services, said in a statement. "The LFC biodigester very clearly fits the need for a campus our size. It greatly cuts the waste, is easy to maintain and train people on, and the digital metrics are very helpful. Once set up and maintained they run themselves. The labor involved is so much less than compost. When I do presentation and digester tours I can share the data since it's all on the cloud."

The University plans to obtain an LFC biodigester for each dining facility before expanding to residence halls and other areas.