Bacillus subtilis SK01 and its application in plastic degradation. Bacillus subtilis SK01 collected by China Center for Type Culture Collection (CCTCC), CCTCC NO: M2020812 is used to prepare a degradable plastic that can protect Bacillus subtilis SK01 from the damage of high temperature and reduce the difference with polyene plastics in specific gravity. The plastic may be stored for more than 1 year to ensure that the microbial enzymes produced by Bacillus subtilis SK01 can achieve 49.11% of total degradation of organic solids after 153 days in an environment for composting or soil burial, and can be slowly degraded by sunlight (photodegradation) or immersion in water. Under an environment other than that mentioned above, the finished products of polyene plastics added with Bacillus subtilis SK01 are consistent with the non-degradable plastics in shelf life, satisfying the demand of a variety of polyene plastics.

Poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) are extremely resistant to natural degradation. Described herein are compositions, assays, and methods for generating microorganisms capable of accelerating degradation of these products using a directed evolution strategy. A minimal media including the target carbon source of interest, creates selective pressure for microorganisms capable of degradation. Extremely slow growth rates on these alternative carbon sources is nevertheless measureable using automated image capture and processing pipeline allows one to observe very small changes in cell growth over the course of a very long period of time, thereby identifying microorganisms that could not otherwise be identified.

Continuous insect-based biowaste processing apparatus has a tubular drum; a drive for rotatably driving the drum; a shaftless screw conveyor fixedly connected to an inner surface of the drum; circumferentially spaced cantilevered blades that (a) are connected to the inner drum surface and (b) each longitudinally extends throughout the drum; and a mechanism for introducing a conglomerate portion that includes biowaste and insect larvae into the drum interior. The screw conveyor is subdivided into longitudinally spaced chambers for the introduced insect larvae, each of the chambers being defined by two adjacent flights of the screw conveyor and by the blades. The size of the insect larvae progressively increases within a more distally located rearing chamber. Two or more blades firmly hold and unify the conglomerate portion throughout its residing time within the drum interior while being distally conveyed.

Continuous insect-based biowaste processing apparatus has a tubular drum; a drive for rotatably driving the drum; a shaftless screw conveyor fixedly connected to an inner surface of the drum; circumferentially spaced cantilevered blades that (a) are connected to the inner drum surface and (b) each longitudinally extends throughout the drum; and a mechanism for introducing a conglomerate portion that includes biowaste and insect larvae into the drum interior. The screw conveyor is subdivided into longitudinally spaced chambers for the introduced insect larvae, each of the chambers being defined by two adjacent flights of the screw conveyor and by the blades. The size of the insect larvae progressively increases within a more distally located rearing chamber. Two or more blades firmly hold and unify the conglomerate portion throughout its residing time within the drum interior while being distally conveyed.

The present disclosure provides a method for accelerating decomposition of an organic or plant matter comprising contacting the organic or the plant matter with an effective amount of soluble yeast cell wall derivatives as an active ingredient for degrading the organic or plant matter to produce a decomposition product.

The present disclosure provides a method for accelerating decomposition of an organic or plant matter comprising contacting the organic or the plant matter with an effective amount of soluble yeast cell wall derivatives as an active ingredient for degrading the organic or plant matter to produce a decomposition product.

A system for decomposing a waste material in an unlined landfill including a landfill site having at least one waste disposal zone for receiving the waste material. The system also includes a remediation system configured for extracting a mixture of leachate and groundwater from groundwater within or adjacent to the landfill site and feeding the mixture into the at least one waste disposal zone along with air and other nutrients to enhance a rate of decay of the waste material within the at least one waste disposal zone.

The present invention relates to a method for sanitizing waste, where waste having specific bacterial counts are subjected to an enzyme composition at a pH between 30 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between 40 C. and 60 C., the liquid is separated and the waste is subjected to the enzyme composition for a period of 10 to 30 hours to obtain at least partial reduction in bacterial count.

The present invention relates to a method for sanitizing waste, where waste having specific bacterial counts are subjected to an enzyme composition at a pH between 30 and 6.0 and at a temperature of between 40 C. and 60 C., the liquid is separated and the waste is subjected to the enzyme composition for a period of 10 to 30 hours to obtain at least partial reduction in bacterial count.

A system and method for vertically-oriented, modular, automated, emissions-controlled composting. In a preferred embodiment, the system and method involve construction of a vertically-oriented set of composting modules comprising a receiving and offloading level, one or more composting bay levels, a feedstock staging level, a biofilter level, a vertical conveyor for uploading feedstock to the feedstock staging level, a freight and personnel elevator, and a leachate tank. This composting system and method reduces the land area required for composting, increases the capture of emissions from composting, and reduces the labor-intensive and heavy-equipment-intensive nature of current methods.