Portland State University Project
Institute for Sustainable Solutions
Scale-Up of an Integrated Organic Waste Processing Biotechnology (
link)
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PSU annually generates a considerable amount of organic waste including food scraps and landscaping debris. Our project aims to verify the performance of a novel technology developed at PSU for processing organics produced on campus. We plan to upgrade our current lab-scale capacities by constructing an outdoor mid-scale prototype in order to collect data that will support further optimization and up-scaling. The proposed system is driven by the activity of larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) and offers several benefits over the current organic waste disposal infrastructure including reduced financial and energy costs, increased efficiency, no harmful by-products, multiple useful outputs, and embodies an overall enhanced ecological integrity. This project will extend educational opportunities on campus, in the greater Portland community. This project will deliver a functional mid-scale BSF system and plan for the next phase up-scale; distribute informational pamphlets outlining the process; and host on-site demonstrations.
