A method and an apparatus for waste processing of mixed waste comprising an organic compostable waste portion and an organic non-compostable waste portion are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a shredder unit for shredding a load of mixed waste, a composting unit providing a microbial environment for composting the food waste portion of the mixed waste load, a heating unit providing a heating environment for heating the inorganic waste portion to a temperature higher than in the composting unit, and a control unit for controlling a moisture level of the mixed waste load in the heating unit. When the target moisture level is reached the shredded, composted and dried mixed waste load is transported to an exit unit for optional further processing as refuse derived fuel.

An Internet of Things (IoT) BIoTower for recycling food wastes into nutrients and for growing organic plants is disclosed which includes a food waste disposable tower for receiving food wastes; a multi-leveled carousels connected to the food waste disposable tower, each containing soils infested with earthworms; and an Internet of Things (IoT) irrigation system designed to provide sustainability to the soils and the organic plants.

A controller for a compost system comprises a plurality of control outputs in communication with a plurality of compost devices. The control outputs are configured to identify an error condition of at least one of the plurality of compost devices. The controller is configured to control a first compost device configured to control a first environmental condition and control a second compost device configured to control a second environmental condition of a compost chamber. The controller is further configured to deactivate the first compost device in response to an error condition during a compost cycle. The controller controls the second compost device in response to the first compost device being deactivated preserving the compost cycle by compensating for the error condition in the first compost device.

A method for operating a composter device including directing exhaust from a composting container to a reservoir by way of a first fluid pathway, directing ambient air to the reservoir by way of a second fluid pathway, and mixing the exhaust from the first fluid pathway and the ambient air from the second fluid pathway.

A product, including digestate, that has been pasteurized through thermal hydrolysis, thermal alkaline hydrolysis, or thermal carbonization is cured to enhance its marketability. Variations of this disclosure include embodiments where pasteurized material is inoculated to further enhance marketability where the inoculation is performed by injecting a fungicide, other means of inoculation by injecting beneficial microorganisms to produce characteristics in digestate that are anti-fungal or produce suitable enzyme cofactors or nutrients to stabilize digestate, injections of vitamins to enhance the ability of plants grown using select digestate to thrive in adverse conditions, injection of chemicals to enhance the ability of digestate to retain heat and prevent freezing during wintry conditions, or any combination thereof. Other embodiments include using recycled waste heat generated from wastewater treatment or another process or solar energy for accelerating the drying process which occurs before, during or after curing.

A product, including digestate, that has been pasteurized through thermal hydrolysis, thermal alkaline hydrolysis, or thermal carbonization is cured to enhance its marketability. Variations of this disclosure include embodiments where pasteurized material is inoculated to further enhance marketability where the inoculation is performed by injecting a fungicide, other means of inoculation by injecting beneficial microorganisms to produce characteristics in digestate that are anti-fungal or produce suitable enzyme cofactors or nutrients to stabilize digestate, injections of vitamins to enhance the ability of plants grown using select digestate to thrive in adverse conditions, injection of chemicals to enhance the ability of digestate to retain heat and prevent freezing during wintry conditions, or any combination thereof. Other embodiments include using recycled waste heat generated from wastewater treatment or another process or solar energy for accelerating the drying process which occurs before, during or after curing.

A controller for a compost system configured to identify an error condition is disclosed. The controller comprises at least one control output. The control output is configured to measure a load current of the at least one control output and generate a load value. The at least one control output is in communication with a compost device and is configured to control an environmental condition of a compost chamber of the compost system. The controller is operable to compare the load value to a predetermined value to determine an error condition of the compost system.

A method and apparatus for operating a composter device includes a compost container, a condensate reservoir, a first fluid pathway fluidly coupling the composting chamber and the condensate reservoir, and a fan moving air from the composting chamber to the condensate reservoir along the first fluid pathway to define a first airflow.

A method for producing a plant life enhancing product is described. The method includes: (i) anaerobically digesting agricultural residue to produce an anaerobically activated organic residue and an ammonia-enriched water; (ii) aerobically digesting the ammonia-enriched water to produce an aerobically activated organic residue; and (iii) blending the anaerobically activated organic residue with the aerobically activated organic residue to produce the plant life enhancing product.

A system reduces and/or prevents the risk of spontaneous ignition and/or explosion of an explosive atmosphere which uses a bag, sealable couplings, automated valves, an explosive gas detector operably disposed inside the bag and in communication with a processor which when the explosive gas detector detects gas levels of an explosive type gas and of a second predetermined molecular weight different than the first predetermined molecular weight and at level to present a risk, the processor causes actuation of the automatically controlled valve to open and release the inert gas into the bag which in turn drives the explosive gas out through one way check valve by means of the different molecular weights.