Organic waste is an integral part of our lives. These include biodegradable remains of living organisms – plants and animals.
The main types of organic waste:
• Food – scraps of vegetables, fruits, peel, bones, coffee sediment, egg shells, perishable products.
• Agricultural – manure, bird droppings, vegetation.
• Paper and wood products.
• Biodegradable plastic.
• Withered, rotting plants, foliage, branches.
• From the production of various animal feeds, slaughterhouses.
• From wastewater treatment plants.

The use of various types of waste for biogas production as a way of generating renewable energy is becoming increasingly popular, especially in the countries of the European Union. These countries are increasingly taking strict regulations in the areas of proper waste management, environmental protection, reducing CO2 emissions and promoting green or ecological energy.

Biogas is an energy source with various applications: electricity, thermal energy and biofuels. It can be naturally generated as a result of the decomposition of organic waste under the influence of bacteria and microorganisms under anaerobic conditions, that is, without oxygen.

The biogas production process is mainly carried out in the following locations:

• In biogas production plants, where agricultural or livestock waste is placed in sealed tanks completely devoid of oxygen and an optimal temperature is maintained to stimulate the activity of bacteria and microorganisms, which leads to the formation of biogas or, in an improved purified version, biomethane.

• At wastewater treatment plants, where biogas is produced by a process inside its own wastewater and sediment treatment plant.

• In landfills, where biogas mainly comes from urban waste.

Over the past decades, various socio-economic changes have coincided, which have led to a significant and constant increase in the production of organic waste (biomass). We are talking about the concentration and growth of urban centers around the world, which leads to an exponential increase in human-induced waste, as well as the strengthening of agriculture and cattle breeding, which leads to a significant accumulation of manure and other waste.
The concentration of the population in cities and activities in the agricultural and pastoral sectors generate a variety of organic waste that can be recycled and reused through the production of biogas:
• Agricultural waste: residues after harvesting corn and cereals.
• Livestock waste: pig and cow manure, manure and bird droppings.
• Waste from the food industry.
• Waste from the meat processing industry.
• Waste from the fish processing industry.
• Sewage treatment plants and wastewater.
• Household waste.

Waste from farms or livestock farms, along with agricultural waste, is the main source of organic material for the production of biogas by anaerobic digestion. This process is carried out at biogas production plants equipped with sealed tanks and other necessary infrastructure facilities.

Within the framework of waste originating from farms, three main types can be distinguished:

1. Pig and cow manure:
These materials consist of an organic mass that includes both solid and liquid animal excrement, animal feed residues and wastewater originating from the washing of household premises. They are characterized by a high nitrogen content, which usually exceeds the nitrogen content of pigs compared to cows. Traditionally, they were used to produce fertilizers and compost for plants.

2. Manure:
This type of organic fertilizer consists of animal excrement and, often, additional materials such as straw, sawdust and shrubs, which are found in places where animals sleep and rest. Unlike manure, manure is not diluted with river water or cleaning residues. It contains volatile fatty acids (LVAS), proteins, polysaccharides and fats, among other components.

3. Bird droppings:
This term refers to the excrement or manure originating from birds, which have excellent properties as fertilizer and fertilizer.

Agricultural waste is generated in natural environments and mainly comes from the cultivation of corn, cereals, fruits and vineyards. Being organic waste originating from primary activities, the processing of agricultural waste is important and the ability to produce biofuels such as biogas and biomethane, providing various energy solutions: electricity, heat, fuel as a substitute for natural gas, etc. In addition, they have additional value as a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source.

The broad concept of agricultural waste includes not only forest waste, but also various elements related to agriculture: trimmings, plastic and nets from greenhouses, materials for mulching and cleaning, ropes and so on.

In recent years, new sustainable energy production systems have been developed based on the use of food industry waste (fruit and vegetable residues, whey, fish waste, etc.). For this purpose, anaerobic processing plants are used, similar to those used for the treatment of agricultural and livestock waste. Sometimes food waste is mixed with manure and agricultural waste.

The purpose of these installations is to take advantage of the economic and resource advantages of biogas production from food industry waste and help this industry reduce its environmental impact by complying with applicable regulatory requirements.

It is undeniable that large volumes of solid waste with a high content of lipids and proteins are generated in slaughterhouses. This aspect has attracted the attention of some companies specializing in the production of biofuels, which have identified great opportunities for producing biogas and, especially, biomethane, using more suitable raw materials than traditional agricultural and livestock waste.

In order to maximize the use of livestock waste, anaerobic digestion processes have been improved and chemical treatment methods based on the reaction of hot hydrolysis between fatty acids in the waste and the base have been developed.

As with organic waste from slaughterhouses, fishing industry waste can also be converted into biogas. Anaerobic decomposition is usually used to produce valuable fuel.

The constant search for sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for energy production has led to the emergence of new and interesting options for the use of wastewater treatment plants, which previously amounted to the use of sludge generated in agriculture.

The introduction of new technologies, such as anaerobic digestion processes, separation of liquid and solid components and modern drying methods (for example, fluidized bed drying), has made it possible to turn waste from wastewater treatment plants, such as sludge, sludge and wastewater, into bioenergy capable of generating electricity and heat, as well as into high-quality and easily transported biofertilizers.

The economic benefits of waste disposal are obvious, as it uses waste from agriculture, livestock and industry, which complies with European standards, according to which 50% of organic substances should be re-evaluated by 2020. In addition, it creates jobs and reduces dependence on traditional energy sources, promoting the use of biogas, a high-quality and environmentally friendly fuel.

Biogas production from household organic waste is carried out by selective collection at large organic matter generators or by proper separation at the household level. This ensures maximum efficiency of the bio-processing process.

In general, despite the fact that agricultural and livestock waste is still the most widely used for biogas production due to their abundance and for historical reasons, since they have been used for many years, and the necessary infrastructure and knowledge are available, recently there has been a growing interest in the use of alternative waste such as sediment, sewage water or waste from the food industry. In general, the processes of biogas production are similar, as is the quality of the biogas produced.

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