From food to fuel

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - What goes uneaten at Purdue dining hall dinner tables will now be recycled.

The university dropped off its first shipment of food waste to the wastewater treatment plant in West Lafayette on September 22nd. 15 tubs filled with "food pulp" were brought in.

The food that does not get eaten is put into a big garbage disposal of sorts, water is then added to it.

Purdue Assistant Director of Grounds and Sustainability Terry Cegielski said it sure beats what the university used to do with its food waste

"We generate approximately 20 tons a month during the school year, so this is a very, very good alternative to landfilling it, which was the previous process," Purdue Assistant Director of Grounds and Sustainability Terry Cegielski said.

Methane gas from the "food pulp" is harvested at the wastewater treatment plant. The gas is used to power the plants anaerobic digester.