MNN - Mother Nature Network

Composting is a great way to deal with food waste naturally, but there's an even faster method that can convert solid waste into nutrient-rich greywater — and do it within 24 hours. The ORCA Green Machine is a high-tech waste digester that's now in use at the Aflac cafeteria to keep thousands of pounds of waste from ending up in landfills each year.

 

Aflac has a corporate goal to recycle at least 75 percent of its solid waste. Now, with the ORCA Green Machine, the company can recycle its food waste, too. In this video, Aflac employees discuss how the ORCA machine works, and the impact that it can have on the company's goals as an environmentally responsible corporation.

 

Using microorganisms to break down the waste, the ORCA Green Machine reduces up to 2,400 pounds of garbage every day, turning it into a nutrient-rich liquid similar to compost tea that can be used for irrigation or can be safely disposed of through the sewer system.

 

Here's how it works: first, food waste is added to the machine. Water is added periodically to keep it moist. The waste is turned consistently inside the machine, and microorganisms are sprayed into it daily, breaking the waste into liquid. The ORCA machine has been installed at the Aflac cafeteria for four months, and has the potential to divert up to 60,000 pounds of waste from the landfill annually.