An automated food waste processing system including an enclosure secured to prevent unauthorized access to contents contained therein, the enclosure including a plurality of exterior walls and a food waste processing system housed within the enclosure. The food waste processing system including an imaging system configured to capture a plurality of images of the food waste and the non-biodegradable material received by the sorting receptacle, a processing system configured to process the plurality of images using a trained neural network to identify at least plastic waste and metal waste as the non-biodegradable material when included in the food waste input stream as received by the sorting receptacle, and a sorting system configured to, in response to instructions received from the processing system, automatically locate and remove the non-biodegradable material from the sorting receptacle to create a bio-degradable input stream to the anaerobic digester.

An automated food waste processing system including an enclosure secured to prevent unauthorized access to contents contained therein, the enclosure including a plurality of exterior walls and a food waste processing system housed within the enclosure. The food waste processing system including an imaging system configured to capture a plurality of images of the food waste and the non-biodegradable material received by the sorting receptacle, a processing system configured to process the plurality of images using a trained neural network to identify at least plastic waste and metal waste as the non-biodegradable material when included in the food waste input stream as received by the sorting receptacle, and a sorting system configured to, in response to instructions received from the processing system, automatically locate and remove the non-biodegradable material from the sorting receptacle to create a bio-degradable input stream to the anaerobic digester.

An apparatus for treating organic mass. The apparatus comprises a treatment chamber and agitation means provided in the chamber to agitate the organic mass. The agitation means comprises a rotatable shaft extending through the chamber, a plurality of agitator arms extending from the shaft, and a paddle connected to each agitator arm. The paddle is arranged to make a first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the agitator arm and a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. There is also provided a system for recycling ammonia generated from the treated organic mass by the apparatus.

Decomposing waste material may use a no-turn, aerobic composting apparatus that includes an enclosure for containing waste material and a fluid distribution system including a fluid injection member removably disposable in waste material disposed in the enclosure. The fluid injection member includes a plurality of spaced apertures for injecting fluid into the waste material.

A process is disclosed for creating biologically active soil or horticulture media for growing plants, wherein a fibrous carbon source such as coconut coir in a predetermined particulate form is mixed with fertilizers and other biological nutrients, inoculated with a biologically active substance such as worm castings and then aged or cured in an oxygen rich aerobic process. After which additional nutrients can be added to tailor the aged media for a specific sue. Various apparatus with which to conduct the aging process are also described. In a variation of the process used soil or horticulture media is recharged by first composting at a high temperature to remove harmful and unwanted items, its contents are evaluated, nutrients are added, and it is then aged in an aerobic process.

Systems and processes for producing ammonia products and calcium carbonate products, the latter containing sequestered carbon dioxide, from an effluent derived from one or more organic feedstocks. Solids are removed from an organic feedstock that contains a nitrogen compound to produce an organic liquid effluent that contains ammonium and/or ammonia. Ammonia is stripped and concentrated from the organic liquid effluent to produce a gaseous mixture that contains ammonia and carbon dioxide, and the gaseous mixture is cooled to produce a condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution of aqueous ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate, and/or ammonium carbonate. The condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution is then contacted with a stabilizing agent to cause a reaction therebetween to produce at least a stabilized ammoniacal nitrogen product and calcium carbonate in which carbon dioxide captured in the ammonium bicarbonate and/or the ammonium carbonate is sequestered.

Systems and processes for producing ammonia products and calcium carbonate products, the latter containing sequestered carbon dioxide, from an effluent derived from one or more organic feedstocks. Solids are removed from an organic feedstock that contains a nitrogen compound to produce an organic liquid effluent that contains ammonium and/or ammonia. Ammonia is stripped and concentrated from the organic liquid effluent to produce a gaseous mixture that contains ammonia and carbon dioxide, and the gaseous mixture is cooled to produce a condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution of aqueous ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate, and/or ammonium carbonate. The condensed aqueous ammoniacal nitrogen solution is then contacted with a stabilizing agent to cause a reaction therebetween to produce at least a stabilized ammoniacal nitrogen product and calcium carbonate in which carbon dioxide captured in the ammonium bicarbonate and/or the ammonium carbonate is sequestered.

An apparatus for vermicomposting includes a compost container with an interior, a stand rotatably supporting the compost container between first and second positions, and first and second diametrically-opposed lids for accessing the interior of the compost container to fill and maintain the compost container with organic matter for vermicomposting therein. The first lid is positioned above the interior in the first position, and the second lid is positioned above the interior in the second position. A user can open one lid to fill and maintain the compost container, and after a sufficient period of time of vermicomposting to produce a layer of vermicast, the user can rotate the compost container from one position to the other and open the other lid to harvest the layer of vermicast. A method of using the apparatus is also disclosed.

An apparatus for vermicomposting includes a compost container with an interior, a stand rotatably supporting the compost container between first and second positions, and first and second diametrically-opposed lids for accessing the interior of the compost container to fill and maintain the compost container with organic matter for vermicomposting therein. The first lid is positioned above the interior in the first position, and the second lid is positioned above the interior in the second position. A user can open one lid to fill and maintain the compost container, and after a sufficient period of time of vermicomposting to produce a layer of vermicast, the user can rotate the compost container from one position to the other and open the other lid to harvest the layer of vermicast. A method of using the apparatus is also disclosed.

A method for vermicomposting includes providing an underground cell comprising a bottom, sidewalls and an open top, layering a base bedding layer at the bottom of the underground cell, layering a bottom organic waste layer on the base bedding layer, layering a stack of one (1) or more intermediate bedding layers and one (1) or more one or more intermediate organic waste layers, alternating between an intermediate bedding layer and an intermediate organic waste layer, on the bottom organic waste layer to partially form a compost heap, layering a top bedding layer on a top organic waste layer of the stack of the intermediate bedding layers and the intermediate organic waste layers to form the compost heap, watering the compost heap at a predetermined watering cycle, introducing worms to the compost heap, aerating the compost heap at a predetermined aeration cycle, and harvesting compost from the compost heap.