Imagine serving three thousand meals a day and only have 10 lbs of waste a day. Carroll University has completed that feat but you ask how? By integrating a commercial grinder and dehydrator in their food service operations, they not only saved money but are saving the environment. By moving towards a net zero energy, water and waste policy, Carroll University has made their operation sustainable. They have used Champion’s Phoenix Dehydrator paired with a Champion Grinder to minimize waste and energy. See how you save:
• Water – As the dishroom employees scrape plates into the scraping trough at the soiled dishtable, the water in the trough is recirculated so it does not just go straight down the drain. The grinder breaks down the food particulate and sends it a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins all the food particulate so that the water is extracted and then sent back to the trough for recirculation. With the old disposer set up imagine the hundreds of gallons of water used wastefully down the drain. The grinder and centrifuge totally reverse that dynamic.
• Food Waste – After the centrifuge spins off the food particulate, the waste is transported down a gravity tube to the dehydrator. The dehydrator will apply heat and use an auger to macerate the waste. Overnight the waste is reduced up to 90%. No venting is required and the dehydrator remains cool to the touch. Champion’s Phoenix will not overcook the waste because it has a moisture sensor. Your yield will be compostable grounds that is a sterile biomass. You simply take it to the compost heap for zero waste haulage and land fill impact.
• Labor and Operating Costs– Both labor and liability is reduced when you dehydrate your food waste. Remember Carroll University got their waste down to 10 lbs per day. All those heavy trash cans full of waste will be reduced thus saving time and employee’s backs! As compared to digesters which consume chemicals and water, the dehydrator only uses electricity to reduce your environmental footprint.
Please contact Hampton- gholiver@dietaryequipment.net or Lisa -lisa@dietaryequipment.net to get your assistance with specifying a sustainable solution for your kitchen.
Foodservice Equipment Blog 