With the increasing importance of finding green waste solutions, the Dominator Depackaging Machine not only separates and removes outer packaging but also reuses the waste that cannot be accepted into the onward manufacturing process. One such use is to feed anaerobic digestion plants in order to convert it into energy.
But greener solutions themselves need to be green and consider their own energy and water consumption.
The dominator range of depackers and separators can be operated with or without water, and when water is used, typically much less. Conversely, other depackaging machines, particularly hammer mill type machines, can use up to 10m3/hour of water. Many customers simply don’t have this amount of water available or don’t want to add water into the process since it must be dealt with later on.
But how much does it really matter? This month, we share our top 5 reasons why it counts to consider your water consumption before choosing your depackaging machine:
Reduced demand for water supply
The obvious benefit is of course that a depackaging machine requiring little or no water will significantly reduce your water consumption and associated costs, as well as overcoming any issues you may have around supply – now, or in the future.
Increased efficiency
A lower water content results in a higher concentration of organic material, which can lead to more efficient biogas production as well as a better yield. Typically methane concentrations, and therefore biogas quality, are higher when less water is used, making it more efficient as a fuel.
Lower treatment costs
Reducing the volume of water upfront means a lower volume of effluent that needs to be treated post-digestion – both reducing costs and complexity.
Lower transport costs
After the digestion process, the resulting digestate is typically spread to local farms. With less water, comes less digestate and therefore reduced transportation and associated costs.
Conservation
And of course, using less water in anaerobic digestion helps conserve a vital resource and support important sustainability goals.
So, whether your motivations are economic, conservational, or both – it pays to consider the water consumption and the impact over the lifetime of your depackaging machine. We offer trials of our machine where you can test the output of your materials with different water contents (or dry). Please contact us to arrange a trial and see what’s possible.