Some are calling it the new ‘black gold.’ Sewage may be a dirty business, but it may also be a lucrative one. Waste Management is betting on a future in sewage-to-biofuel, joining forces with the largest refiner in the U.S., Valero Energy Corp., to blend wastewater “crude” into gasoline. As Tina Casey explains in her piece for CleanTechnica,

The two companies have invested in Terrabon LLC, which was formed in the 1990’s to commercialize three technologies including a biofuel process called MixAlco.  With a half-billion people (and counting) contributing to the feedstock in the U.S. alone, it looks like sewage could be the answer to the search for a truly sustainable biofuel.

Until now, the sewage-to-biofuel picture has been somewhat modest.  Norway is experimenting with biomethane busses, San Antonio has a sewage biomethane program, and sewage grease is being tapped as a potential fuel. The partnership between Waste Management and Valero takes it a giant step further into the mass market.  It means that Terrabon will have access to a high volume of organic waste as a feedstock for the process, along with a major customer to receive the organic salts and convert them to biofuel.  Given the national scope of these operations, looks like it’s finally showtime for sewage.

From a distance, we’ll be tracking Waste Management’s success in turning poop into gas!

[Source: CleanTechnica]

The trash can hasn’t really changed in thousands of years. It’s not hard to imagine a first draft of Plato’s Republic ending up in something similar to the bin under Shakespeare’s desk. It’s just one of those things that achieved its useful/design equilibrium a long time ago. But BigBelly Solar is making a compelling case that it’s time for an update.

The Needham, MA-based company’s solar-powered trash compactor is catching on with municipalities looking to cut costs. The units cost between $3100 and $3900 (or lease for $70 to $90) depending on purchase volume, but the BigBelly says they typically pay for themselves in about two years. The can holds around five times as much trash as a traditional trash can, resulting in fewer collections, reducing money spent on man hours, fuel, and garbage trucks. According to BigBelly, the compactor, which has a wireless indicator that signals that the unit is ready to be picked up, cuts the need for trash pickup by up to 80%.

“We’re very excited to bring the benefits of on-site solar compaction to such a wide group of customers nationwide,” said Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar. “These compactors are made from recycled materials, and even work in areas that don’t receive direct sunlight.” Matt McKenna, CEO of the nonprofit Keep American Beautiful (see our earlier post about them) cites consumer reports that suggest “that convenience and accessibility of public trash and recycling receptacles are a major influence in encouraging them to dispose of waste properly and to recycle more.”

We’ll be seeing these contraptions popping up more and more. Jim Poss, BigBelly’s founder, was recently called one of “America’s Most Promising Social Entreprenuers” by BusinessWeek. And at last week’s U.S. Conference of Mayors, garbage heavy hitters Waste Management announced that it has become the exclusive waste and environmental services company distributor of BigBelly solar compactor technology in North America.

Watch this video of the BigBelly trash can.

*repost LTT looks back on first year