One Person’s Trash Is The World’s Energy Treasure

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We as humans throw a lot of garbage into our landfills and dumpsters, which means disaster for the environment.

Image Credit: Warning: Biofuel Sign via Shutterstock

However, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” is allowing one company to literally take this to the bank.

Bioroot Energy based in Darby, Montana is a clean fuel company targeting society’s solid, liquid and gaseous carbon wastes to help make next-generation alcohol fuels more commercially viable on the market.

According to its Facebook page, the company’s mission is to “profitably convert solid and liquid wastes, like trash, and non-crop biomass, as well as coal, methane and CO2, into a biodegradable, water soluble higher mixed alcohol fuel formula that blends seamlessly into gasoline or diesel and coal.”

You would be surprised at what is being used to produce this clean fuel which comes right out of the trash; literally. This includes shredded tires, along with refinery waste to name a few examples. Who knew tires could for something more purposeful besides driving your automobile or bicycle?

Higher mixed alcohol fuel is 95% cleaner than gasoline, which means it runs at near zero emissions, and is more energy-efficient than corn-based ethanol (138 octane rating, 30 more octane points than corn-based fuels, according to Bioroot Energy).

While some users think biofuels require modifications to their car in order to use them, the company is also making you think twice about this. Higher mixed alcohol fuel can be used in not only flex-fuel cars, but also blended between 10% to 30% with gasoline.

Bioroot’s continued presence in the renewable fuel market will certainly be helped out by the ongoing commitments of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard, which is targeting 14 million gallons of cellulosic fuel this year. It’s hoped that, by 2022, 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel will help transportation across the country.

While there has been some challenges in getting it off the ground, a 30 million gallon a year cellulosic biofuel plant is being built by Dupont in Iowa.

Given the challenges of a warming planet, and the increased economic costs of mitigating climate change, along with increased demand in energy from emerging markets, there is definitely lots of potential to turn trash into pure energy gold.

Main Source: Bioroot Energy


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Adam Johnston

is expected to complete the Professional Development Certificate in Renewable Energy from the University of Toronto by December 2017. Adam recently completed his Social Media Certificate from Algonquin College Continuing & Online Learning. Adam also graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a three-year B.A. combined major in Economics and Rhetoric, Writing & Communications in 2011. Adam owns a part-time tax preparation business. He also recently started up Salay Consulting and Social Media services, a part-time business which provides cleantech writing, analysis, and social media services. His eventual goal is to be a cleantech policy analyst. You can follow him on Twitter @adamjohnstonwpg or check out his business www.salayconsultiing.com.

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