CN110756546A

CN110756546A - Apparatus and method for decomposing food waste

Info

Publication number: CN110756546A
Application number: CN201910600003.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王君甫
Original assignee: Accor Environmental Protection Hong Kong Co ltd
Current assignee: Accor Environmental Protection Hong Kong Co ltd
Priority date: 2018-07-10
Filing date: 2019-07-04
Publication date: 2020-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-04
Also published as: CN110756546B; CN212041968U

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for treating digestible food waste. The system has a food waste collection cart provided with a separator for separating food waste into digestible food waste and non-digestible food waste, wherein the cart comprises a first compartment for collecting digestible food waste and a second compartment for collecting non-digestible food waste. The system also has a first chamber, a second chamber, or a third chamber for processing during different stages of food waste processing.

Description

Apparatus and method for decomposing food waste

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority from a previously filed hong kong patent application serial No.18108957.4 filed on 10.7.2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for treating food waste, a reactor for treating food waste so as to significantly reduce the amount of food waste, and a method for treating food waste.

Background

For example, the increase in food waste produced by commercial restaurants has been a concern to the public. Although various food waste disposers are available on the market, these disposers often have different limitations. For example, many such processors are unable to pre-sort food waste, and thus, food waste typically needs to be manually pre-sorted before feeding digestible food waste into the processor. However, manual pre-sorting of food waste is neither pleasant nor efficient, as food waste tends to produce an irritating odour shortly after being discarded and manual sorting is undesirable. The need for pre-sorting thus prevents the public or recycling industry from recycling food waste. Furthermore, most food waste disposers on the market are relatively large in size and consume a high level of electricity, and are therefore space and energy inefficient. The following table summarizes some food waste disposers on the market.

TABLE 1 food waste disposer and examples of its energy consumption

Brand	Daily capacity (kg)	Dimension (mm)	Consumption of electricity (kWh/month)
				A	100	400014001400	500
B	100	231512351335	1800
				C	100	246011601870	2400

Furthermore, the residue from the decomposition of food waste often still contains high concentrations of fats, oils and greases (often collectively referred to as FOG) and salts, which limits the recovery of the residue for other applications such as agricultural uses.

Again, conventional food waste disposers, due in part to their relatively large size, are often installed in locations such as waste collection points that are remote from the kitchen. This arrangement is inconvenient for the user to closely track the process of the decomposition process.

The present invention seeks to solve the above problems, or at least to provide the public with a useful alternative.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a system for treating digestible food waste comprising:

a) a food waste collection cart provided with a separator for separating food waste into digestible food waste and non-digestible food waste, wherein the cart comprises a first compartment for collecting the digestible food waste and a second compartment for collecting the non-digestible food waste; and

b) a reactor comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, or a third chamber, wherein:

i. the first chamber is provided with a sieving bottom for containing digestible food waste and bacteria for the bacteria to decompose the digestible food waste into decomposed food waste, wherein the sieving bottom is provided with an aperture for allowing the decomposed food waste to pass through, and wherein the first chamber is provided with a detector for detecting a volume of the digestible food waste therein;

the system provides an actuator for transferring the digestible food waste from the first compartment to the first chamber;

the system provides a channel provided with an inlet and an outlet to a container;

the system providing a sparger proximate the inlet for introducing water into the channel for mixing with the decomposed food waste from the first chamber to form wastewater in the channel;

v. the second chamber is provided with an elongated biochemical filter for separating lipophilic substances from the wastewater, and the elongated biochemical filter is inclined away from the second chamber; and

and vi, the third chamber is provided with a membrane reactor for separating salt from the wastewater.

Preferably, the system may further comprise a monitoring system for receiving signals transmitted from the detector when the first/second and third chambers are included, the signals providing information including the mixing time of the bacteria and the digestible food waste in the first chamber, the weight of the digestible food waste in the first chamber and/or the pouring time in the first chamber;

wherein:

-the channel is configured to allow fluid communication;

-when both the first and second chambers are present, the second chamber is located below the first chamber;

-said sprinkler being provided with a nozzle for introducing nanobubbles into said channel and said second chamber;

-the container is provided with an aperture for separating residues from the wastewater and for collecting the residues before the wastewater enters the second chamber;

-said biochemical filter is provided with apertures for separating lipophilic substances from said wastewater before said wastewater enters said third chamber;

-the volume of the residue is at least 95% less than the volume of the digestible food waste before decomposition in the reactor due to the arrangement of the first chamber in the system; and

-positioning the channel between the first chamber and the second chamber.

Suitably, the first compartment and the second compartment are detachable from the cart.

Advantageously:

-the first chamber further comprises a rotating shaft having at least one paddle extending therefrom for mixing the bacteria and the digestible food waste in the first chamber such that a Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) level per kilogram of residue is less than 3000 ppm;

-the size or average size of the pores of the membrane reactor is less than 0.01 micron;

-the length, height and width of the reactor are less than 1,000mm, 1,000mm and 1,000mm, respectively;

-the second chamber comprises a receptacle disposed therein for collecting lipophilic substances separated from the wastewater; and the volume of the digestible food waste can be reduced by at least 90% due to the arrangement of the first chamber in the system.

In one embodiment, the system may include a capsule for use in the first chamber, the capsule comprising a body made of a shell, having at least one cavity defined in the body, and containing a plurality of particles for carrying bacteria to promote biological or food waste degradation.

The capsule is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the particles are made of a porous material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, bone char, cement, ceramic, silica, sintered glass, and zeolite.

The body may be configured with an oblong body defining two said cavities therein, and wherein the body comprises an upper half and a lower half, each half being provided with a protruding web and recess for engaging with the groove and protruding latch, respectively, of the other half, thereby enclosing the body and containing the bacteria-laden particles.

The body may be elongate in profile with a length, width and height of 16.9-25.2mm, 9.6-14.4mm and 8.72-13.08mm respectively, and the length, width and height of the body may be 21mm, 12mm and 10.9mm respectively.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for treating food waste comprising a reactor, wherein the reactor comprises:

a) a first chamber provided with a sieving bottom for containing food waste and bacteria, allowing the bacteria to decompose the food waste into decomposed food waste, wherein the sieving bottom is configured to allow the decomposed food waste to pass therethrough;

b) the channel is provided with an inlet and an outlet leading to the container;

c) arranging a sprayer near the inlet for introducing water into the channel for mixing with the decomposed food waste to form waste water in the channel;

d) the second chamber is provided with a biochemical filter for separating lipophilic substances from the wastewater; and

e) the third chamber is provided with a membrane reactor for separating salt from the wastewater;

wherein:

-the first chamber, the second chamber, the third chamber and the channel are in a fluid communicable relationship;

-the container is provided with an aperture for separating residues from the wastewater and collecting the residues before the wastewater enters the second chamber;

-the biochemical filter is provided with pores for separating lipophilic substances from the wastewater before the wastewater enters the chamber; and

-the volume of the residue is at least 50% less than the volume of the food waste before decomposition due to the arrangement of the first chamber in the system.

Preferably:

-the channel can be positioned below the first chamber;

-the first chamber may further comprise a rotating shaft having at least one paddle extending therefrom for mixing the bacteria and the digestible food waste in the first chamber such that a Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) level per kilogram of residue is less than 3000 ppm;

the size or average size of the pores of the membrane reactor may be less than 0.01 micron;

the length, height and width of the reactor may be less than 1000mm, respectively;

the second chamber may comprise a receptacle disposed therein for collecting lipophilic substances separated from the wastewater; and

-the volume of the digestible food waste is reduced by at least 80% due to the arrangement of the first chamber in the system.

Drawings

Some embodiments of the invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a food waste collection cart of the waste treatment system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the food waste collection cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the food waste collection cart of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a reactor of the system according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram generally illustrating the first chamber (or a portion thereof) and channels of the reactor of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram generally illustrating the second and third chambers of the reactor of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a biochemical filter arranged in a vertical configuration and in a tilted preferred configuration;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating separation of salts in a membrane reactor of the system;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the actuator of the reactor engaged with the food waste collection cart as food waste is transferred from the food waste collection cart to the chamber of the reactor in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view and FIGS. 10B-10D are schematic top and side views thereof showing one embodiment of a capsule for use in the first chamber; and

fig. 11A shows the lower half of the capsule of fig. 10A, and fig. 11B-11D show schematic top and side views thereof.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a system for treating food waste, generally designated 2, a food waste collection cart for temporarily storing food waste, a food waste treatment reactor therefor, and a method of treating food waste such that at least a quantity of food waste is significantly reduced by more factors than is achievable with conventional methods. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the following examples.

Fig. 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of a food waste collection cart 4 of a food waste treatment system 2 for collecting food waste prior to decomposition according to the present invention. With particular reference to fig. 1, the cart 4 has a rear portion 6 and a front portion 10, the rear portion 6 being provided with a handle 8, and the front portion 10 being provided with two

compartments

12, 14 for storing food waste. The cart 4 is provided with wheels 16 so that a cleaning person can easily manoeuvre the cart 4 in a restaurant to collect food waste from the table. Fig. 1 shows that at the front 10, the cart 4 has two

compartments

12, 14, a first compartment 12 and a second compartment 14, arranged at the front 10 thereof.

Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the reactor 18 and monitoring system 20 of the food waste treatment system 2 according to the present invention.

The reactor 18 includes a fluid supply system 22, a first chamber 24, a channel 26, a second chamber 28, and a third chamber 30.

The fluid supply system 22 includes an external water supply portion 32, a first conduit 34, a second conduit 36, a third conduit 38, a fluid gate 40, and a fluid pump 42. The fluid supply system 22 enables fluid circulation or moisture control, e.g., water circulation, in the reactor 18. In this embodiment, the fluid supplied to the reactor 18 is water or water with added waste degradation enhancing components. Although initial operation of the system requires input of water from outside the fluid supply system, at least some of the water withdrawn from the third chamber may be recovered and directed back to the first and/or second chambers after the reactor has started to operate.

In the embodiment as illustrated in fig. 4 and 5, the first chamber 24 is arranged at the upper part of the reactor 18. The first chamber 24 includes surrounding vertical walls and a screening bottom 44. These walls define an upwardly facing opening that is covered or closable by a removable cover 46. When food waste is introduced into the first chamber 24, the lid 46 is removed. However, the lid 46 remains closed while the food waste in the first chamber 24 is undergoing decomposition or biodegradation. The first chamber 24 defines a cavity for containing or otherwise supporting food waste and bacteria. The sieving bottom 44 is provided with holes and is configured to allow the decomposed food waste (after biodegradation) to pass through. In other words, the first chamber 24 is configured with a programmed mechanical mechanism for selecting the contents of the sifting bottom 44 therethrough.

The first conduit 34 of the fluid supply system 22 is arranged in the upper part of the first chamber 24. In this embodiment, the first conduit 34 is fixed to the ceiling of the first chamber 24 and extends through the ceiling of the first chamber 24. The first conduit 34 allows water to be introduced into the first chamber 24 to facilitate bacteria in breaking down food waste into broken down food waste. In this regard, the food waste in the first chamber 24 is digestible, biodegradable and/or compostable under such conditions. The first conduit 34 is provided with a plurality of ejectors 48 for expelling water from the first chamber 24.

The first chamber 24 further includes a rotator 50, the rotator 50 including a rotating shaft 52, the rotating shaft 52 having at least one paddle 54 extending therefrom for automatically mixing bacteria and food waste in the first chamber 24. In some embodiments, the first chamber 24 is provided with a sensor or detector for monitoring the amount of food waste therein.

The second conduit 36 of the fluid supply system 22 is located upstream of the channel 26 and is used to connect the fluid gate 40 with the channel 26. The second conduit 36 leads to a sprinkler 56 for supplying water or moisture into the passage 26. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the second conduit 36 extends substantially vertically in the reactor 18.

A passage 26 is located below the first chamber 24 and extends generally horizontally through the reactor 18 in the intermediate region. The passageway 26 is provided with an inlet 58 and an outlet 60. An inlet 58 of passage 26 receives sprayer 56 of second conduit 36 of fluid supply system 22. The outlet 60 of the passageway 26 leads to a porous container 62. The position of the channel 26 allows food waste disintegrated from the first chamber 24 to enter the channel 26 by gravity.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the second chamber 28 is located downstream of the channel 26 in the food waste disposal channel. By "second chamber" it is meant the location in the reactor 18 where the FOG separation occurs. A plurality of biochemical filters 64 are disposed in the second chamber 28 for separating FOG. Each biochemical filter 64 has a planar profile and is arranged in an inclined configuration so as to be tiled in the flow direction of the fluid processed in the second chamber 28.

The second chamber 28 is provided with a groove 66 at the liquid level in the second chamber 28. The FOG separated in the second chamber 28 is collected by the groove.

The second chamber 28 is also provided with a sensor 68 for sensing the water level in the second chamber 28 to prevent water spillage. If the water level in the second chamber 28 reaches above a predetermined level, the sensor 68 will be triggered and a signal will be sent to the water supply 22 to stop the flow of water into the second chamber 28.

The second chamber 28 is provided with an opening through which the incoming fluid passes. The opening is generally defined by a first baffle 70 depending from the ceiling of the second chamber 28 and a second baffle 72 extending from the bottom of the second chamber 28, but the second baffle 72 is inclined in a similar manner to the biochemical filter 64.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the third chamber 30 is located downstream of the second chamber 28. By "third chamber" it is meant the location where salt separation occurs in the reactor 18. A plurality of membrane reactors 74 are arranged in the third chamber 30 for separating salts. Each membrane reactor 74 is similar to a stirrer having a plurality of wire loops at one end. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the wire loop and illustrates how the salt is separated on the surface of the membrane reactor 74. In this embodiment, the surface of the membrane reactor 74 is provided with pores having a size or average size of less than 0.01 microns.

Still referring to fig. 4 and 6, the fluid supply system 22 includes a fluid pump 42 for pumping water from the third chamber 30 to the third conduit 38. A third conduit 38 is located downstream of the third chamber 30 and connects a fluid gate 40 and a fluid pump 42. The third conduit 38 extends substantially vertically in the reactor 18. It should be appreciated that the fluid flow in the system 2 forms a circulation loop. The recirculation loop refers to the partially recoverable nature of the water as discussed above.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention will now be explained by their operations as follows. Food waste processing begins with the collection of food waste, for example, from a dining table. Food waste can be generally classified into two types, i.e., digestible food waste and non-digestible food waste. Examples of digestible food waste include, but are not limited to, meat, rice, vegetables, and the like. Examples of non-digestible food waste include, but are not limited to, bone, shell, corn cob, tissue, tin can, plastic, glass bottle. After the food waste is collected from the table by the cleaning personnel, the food waste may be manually separated by the cleaning personnel, wherein the digestible food waste is stored in the first compartment 12 and the non-digestible food waste is stored in the second compartment 14.

The digestible food waste is then transferred from the first compartment 12 to the first chamber 24 of the reactor 18, as illustrated in fig. 9. The reactor 18 is provided with an actuator 76 for mechanically transferring food waste from the first compartment 12 of the cart 4 to the first chamber 24 of the reactor 18. The actuator 76 is located outside of the reactor 18 and is capable of grasping the first compartment 12, lifting and tilting it to position the opening of the first compartment 12 adjacent the opening of the first chamber 24 so that food waste is evacuated from the first compartment 12 and transferred to the first chamber 24.

The food waste discarded in the first chamber 24 then undergoes bacterial decomposition. The plurality of sprayers 48 of the first conduit 34 discharge water into the first chamber 24 for providing moisture to the bacteria for promoting decomposition of the food waste. It is advantageous to drain water from the upper region of the first chamber 24 in order to prevent or at least reduce water accumulation at the lower region of the first chamber 24. An undesirable excess of water accumulation will slow the process of food waste decomposition. The spinner 50 in the first chamber 24 promotes mixing of the bacteria with the food waste so that the bacteria are more evenly distributed to achieve more efficient breakdown of the food waste. The food waste contained in the first chamber 24 will become decomposed food waste after processing.

After the decomposition, the aggregate size of the food waste decomposed in the first chamber 24 becomes small. When the aggregates are smaller in size than the pores of the screening bottom, they pass through the screening bottom 44 and enter the channel 26 by gravity. The spinner 50 also facilitates the passage of the broken down food waste into the channel 26.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, the inlet 58 of the passage 26 is provided with a sprinkler 56 for supplying water or moisture to the passage 26. The sparger 56 is in the form of a nozzle that releases nano-sized bubbles in the channel. These nano-scale bubbles remain in the water for a longer time than the micro-scale bubbles. In the channel 26, the decomposed food waste is mixed with water to form waste water. The nanobubbles in the channels 26 further promote the decomposition of food waste by bacteria in the channels 26. The waste water flows in the direction of the water flow supplied by the sprinkler 56 and then to the porous container 62 adjacent the outlet 60 of the channel 26. The residue in the wastewater is separated at the perforated container 62. In some embodiments, a porous container 62 is positioned within the channel 26 to save space.

In the embodiments disclosed in the context of the present description, the bacteria in the first chamber 24 are loaded on a bacteria carrier having a porous structure. In a preferred embodiment, the system 2 comprises a carrier for supporting bacteria. In use, the bacteria are applied to the carrier before mixing with the food waste. Preferably, the concentration of bacteria on the bacterial vector is substantially 9589.9A/m 2. The bacterial carrier is a plastic-based material or a silicon-based material. After the bacteria are applied to the bacterial carrier, they are then mixed with food waste to be decomposed.

When practicing the present invention, such as the above-described embodiments, experiments show that the volume of residue collected at the porous container 62 is at least 90% less than the volume of food waste prior to decomposition in the first chamber 24. The experiment also showed that the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) level of the residue at the porous container 62 was about 3,000ppm, which is significantly lower than the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) level of the food waste before decomposition. The residue at the receptacle 62 can then be collected and used as, for example, fertilizer. In some embodiments, the volume of residue collected at the receptacle 62 is 95% less than the volume of food waste prior to decomposition in the first chamber 24. Experimental data show that when the residue from the container is subjected to aerobic conditions, the residue will decompose further into compost, which can be used as e.g. fertilizer or soil enrichment agent in 3 days or less. In contrast, many conventional food waste disposers can only reduce the volume by 15-20%. Such conventional disposers can only generate decomposed food waste with a COD level of 16,490ppm or higher. Studies have shown that when the residue from these conventional processors is subjected to aerobic conditions, the residue will decompose further into compost, which can be used as fertilizer or soil enrichment, for example, within 2-3 weeks.

Still referring to fig. 4 and 6, the wastewater exits the porous container 62 and then reaches the second chamber 28. The second chamber 28 is provided with an opening at its lower region through which the waste water passes. A gap exists between the ends of the first 70 and second 72 baffles and thereby defines an opening.

As described above, the second chamber 28 is provided with a biochemical filter 64 for separating FOG from wastewater. The biochemical filter 64 is loaded with nitrifying bacteria for decomposing toxins in the wastewater.

Fig. 7 illustrates the biochemical filter 64 in more detail. The left figure shows the biochemical filters 64 arranged in a vertical configuration, and the right figure shows the biochemical filters 64 arranged in an inclined configuration. When vertically positioned, the effective length of the filter for separating FOG from wastewater is the width of the biochemical filter 64, i.e., "x". In contrast, when positioned in the inclined configuration, the effective length of the biochemical filter 64 for separating FOG from wastewater is "x '" (x' ═ h cos θ, where h is the height of the biochemical filter 64, and θ is the angle of inclination of the biochemical filter 64 relative to the bottom of the second chamber 28). Thus, the value of x' is always greater than x, and thus it is preferred that the biochemical filter 64 be arranged in a tilted configuration because it provides a longer effective length than the biochemical filter 64 arranged in a perpendicular configuration. Experiments leading to the present invention have shown that: the FOG separation efficiency in the second chamber 28 is proportional to the effective length for separating FOG.

In fig. 4 and 6, the wastewater contains nano bubbles released by the sprayer 56. These bubbles at the nano-scale remain in the wastewater for a longer time than bubbles at the micro-scale. The nanobubbles in the second chamber 28 facilitate separation of the FOG in the second chamber 28.

The second chamber 28 is provided with a slot 66 at the waste level in the second chamber 28. The FOG collected at the trough 66 can be used, for example, for biodiesel production.

The wastewater after passing through the biochemical filter 64 is substantially free of FOG and then enters the third chamber 30.

Referring to fig. 6, in operation, wastewater exits the second chamber 28 and then reaches the third chamber 30. The third chamber 30 is provided with a plurality of membrane reactors 74 for salt separation. As illustrated in fig. 8, when the wastewater interacts with the surfaces of the membrane reactor 74, the pores on the surfaces of the membrane reactor 74 will filter out the salts in the wastewater and allow the wastewater with the salts removed to enter the membrane reactor 74. After reaching the interior of the membrane reactor 74, the water becomes clean water because it is substantially free of salt.

Clean water in membrane reactor 74 is directed out of third chamber 30 to fluid gate 40 via fluid pump 42. In this embodiment, the area from fluid pump 42 to fluid gate 40 is third conduit 38.

As can be appreciated from the above illustration, the clean water entering the reactor 18 mixes with the food waste into wastewater (e.g., at the first chamber 24 and the second chamber 28) that undergoes various stages of processing. The waste water is then converted back to clean water at the third chamber 30 and may be directed back to the first chamber 24 for further use. In other words, the reactor 18 provides a recyclable water cycle. Water circulation is also understood to be a water circuit that enables the operation of the reactor 18.

As shown in fig. 4, the food waste treatment system 2 is also provided with a monitoring system 20 in signal communication with a sensor or detector in the first chamber 24 and a sensor 68 in the second chamber 28. The data received from the sensors is transmitted to the detection system 20. The data provides information including, but not limited to, the mixing time of the bacteria and food waste in the first chamber 24, the weight of the food waste in the first chamber 24, and/or the pour time in the first chamber 24. After confirming the data, the user may respond to the condition of the system 2 by adjusting the reactor 18 either on-site or remotely. For example, a user may control the mixing time of the spinner 50 in the first chamber 24 and/or the water spray time of the sprayers 48 in the first chamber 24 in response to the inclusion of food waste in the first chamber 24. In a preferred embodiment, the monitoring system 20 is configured to generate a carbon footprint report that displays the carbon reduction throughout the food waste treatment in the reactor 18.

Due to the high efficiency of the decomposition of the food waste of the reactor 18, the physical size of the reactor 18 may be configured to be 1000mm (length), 1000mm (width), 1000mm (height), or less, which is smaller than the conventional food waste disposer. Furthermore, the power consumption of the present invention is lower than 150kWh per month, 30% lower than that of the conventional food waste disposer.

To enhance the efficacy of the system, biological or food degrading bacteria are introduced into the system, in particular into the first chamber. One aspect of the system involves the use of multiple capsules, examples of which are shown in fig. 10A-10 d. The capsule is used to introduce and carry the desired bacteria in the system during use. Fig. 10A shows a capsule having an elongated body with opposite ends that are hemispherical. In this embodiment, the body is provided with two spherical cavities. The main body is composed of an upper half part and a lower half part. Fig. 11A shows the lower body half. In this embodiment, the body is provided with two cavities defined thereby. Each of the upper and lower halves is provided with a latch and a recess for complementary engagement with each other. When the upper and lower halves are joined, they define a cavity for containing particles that are used to directly carry the desired bacteria. Although the capsule may contain particles when closed, the capsule is configured such that bacteria may penetrate into the surrounding food waste via the capsule in a controlled manner during use.

The elongate body may have a length, width and height of 16.9-25.2mm, 9.6-14.4mm and 8.72-13.08mm respectively, but in this embodiment the length, width and height of the body are 21mm, 12mm and 10.9 mm.

The capsule may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the particles may be made of a porous material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, bone charcoal, cement, ceramic, silica, sintered glass, and zeolite. The studies leading to the present invention show that: with the structural and material properties, the capsule can perform the desired containment and controlled release of bacteria to promote degradation of the surrounding food waste in the first chamber and increase the cracking efficiency of the food waste.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. It should be noted that certain features of the embodiments are illustrated by way of non-limiting examples. Furthermore, the skilled person will be aware of the prior art, which has not been explained above for the sake of brevity. For example, the first and

second compartments

12, 14 of the cart 4 may be detachable from the cart 4 for cleaning purposes. The separation of the food waste prior to subsequent decomposition may be done manually by a cleaning person. Alternatively, in different embodiments, the cart 4 may be provided with an automatic separator for physically separating the food waste into digestible and non-digestible food waste, so that the cleaning personnel can discard the collected food waste directly into the separator for separation without the need for manual pre-sorting. For example, the separation of the collected food waste by the separator may be accomplished according to the size or density of the collected food waste. In some embodiments, the third conduit 38 of the fluid supply system 22 is directly connected to the hollow structure of the membrane reactor 74. In some embodiments, the second chamber 28 and the third chamber 30 are two separate chambers connected to one another in a fluid communicable relationship. In some embodiments, biochemical filter 64 in second chamber 28 is positioned vertically therein.

Claims

1. A system for treating digestible food waste, comprising:

c) a food waste collection cart provided with a separator for separating food waste into digestible food waste and non-digestible food waste, wherein the cart comprises a first compartment for collecting the digestible food waste and a second compartment for collecting the non-digestible food waste; and

d) a reactor comprising a first chamber, a second chamber, or a third chamber, wherein:

said first chamber is provided with a sieving bottom for containing digestible food waste and bacteria for causing said bacteria to break down said digestible food waste into broken down food waste, wherein said sieving bottom is provided with apertures allowing said broken down food waste to pass through, and wherein said first chamber is provided with a detector for detecting the volume of said digestible food waste therein;

said system providing a passageway, said passageway being provided with an inlet and an outlet to a container;

the system providing a sparger near the inlet for introducing water into the channel for mixing with the decomposed food waste from the first chamber to form wastewater in the channel;

said second chamber being provided with an elongated biochemical filter for separating lipophilic substances from said wastewater, and said elongated biochemical filter being inclined away from said second chamber; and

the third chamber is provided with a membrane reactor for separating salts from the wastewater.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the first, second and third chambers, and a monitoring system for receiving signals transmitted from the detector, the signals providing information including a mixing time of the bacteria and the digestible food waste in the first chamber, a weight of the digestible food waste in the first chamber, and/or a watering time in the first chamber;

wherein:

-the channel is configured to allow fluid communication;

-positioning the channel between the first chamber and the second chamber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are detachable from the cart.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of capsules for use in the first chamber, the capsules comprising a body made of a shell, having at least one cavity defined in the body, and containing a plurality of particles for carrying bacteria to promote biological or food waste degradation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the capsule is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the particles are made of a porous material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, bone char, cement, ceramic, silica, sintered glass, and zeolite.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the body is configured with an oblong body defining two of the cavities therein, and wherein the body comprises an upper half and a lower half, each half being provided with a protruding slat and recess for engaging with the groove and the protruding latch, respectively, of the other half, thereby enclosing the body and containing the bacteria-laden particles.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the body has an elongated profile with a length, width and height of 16.9-25.2mm, 9.6-14.4mm and 8.72-13.08mm, respectively, and preferably the length, width and height of the body are 21mm, 12mm and 10.9mm, respectively.

9. A system for treating food waste comprising a reactor, wherein the reactor comprises:

f) a first chamber provided with a sieving bottom for containing food waste and bacteria, allowing the bacteria to decompose the food waste into decomposed food waste, wherein the sieving bottom is configured to allow the decomposed food waste to pass therethrough;

g) the channel is provided with an inlet and an outlet leading to the container;

h) arranging a sprayer near the inlet for introducing water into the channel for mixing with the decomposed food waste to form waste water in the channel;

i) the second chamber is provided with a biochemical filter for separating lipophilic substances from the wastewater; and

j) the third chamber is provided with a membrane reactor for separating salt from the wastewater;

wherein:

-said biochemical filter is provided with apertures for separating lipophilic substances from said wastewater before said wastewater enters said third chamber; and

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

-positioning the channel below the first chamber;

-the length, height and width of the reactor are less than 1000mm, respectively;

-the second chamber comprises a receptacle disposed therein for collecting lipophilic substances separated from the wastewater; and