31/05-10   -   Press releases

Microwave Technology to Solve Problems with Food Waste

The handling of food waste causes problems in a number of working environments across the globe. Stena Metall and its fellow applicants are given an EU grant of about SEK 7 million, from Vinnova and the Eureka Offices in Poland and Great Britain, in order to develop an innovative technology for microwave drying of food scraps.

Food scraps are difficult to deal with at restaurants, ships, meat and fish counters and other environments which involve handling of food products. The waste can be bulky and can also create problems with smells, vermin and hygiene.
“The goal of this project is to develop a microwave drier which reduces the weight of the food waste by 85%. Due to the lack of space, recyclable resources such as food waste are currently often mixed with waste which could be used for energy recovery," Christer Forsgren, Head of Technology and Environmental Science at Stena Metall, says.

Microwave heating sterilizes and dries the waste, which allows it to be stored without any problems or bad smells. The process is quick. Both the volume and weight are reduced in a couple of minutes, while preserving all nutrients. The residual product is an odorless powder which looks like sawdust. Several possible areas of application include fertilizers, fuel and fodder (animal food). The project is supposed to show if there are any other areas of application.
“The goal is to develop a microwave drier which is efficient and easy to operate. It should be approx. as big as a freezer and should be possible to use at restaurants, in shipping and in other industries which lack a user-friendly waste solution," Christer Forsgren says.

Stena Metall is the main applicant in the project. Other project participants include Stena Line AB, GISIP AB, Liros AB from Sweden, the University of Poznan, Polish company QWED and British company NetAccess.

For more information:
Carina Pettersson, Stena Metall AB, +46 10 445 20 16

Use the link below to download pictures:
http://v2.brandstudio.net//external/index.cfm?publicId=b3e29ea2-144c-4c2e-89ad-ed1fa0609cb6


FACTS about the Stena Metall Group
The Stena Metall Group collects, processes and recycles all types of waste. A constant objective is to develop new and innovative ways to deal with the waste produced by society with sustainable methods for the customers, the environment and society. The Group is also active in production of aluminum from recycled raw material, financial operations, as well as international trade in steel, non-ferrous metals and oil. The Stena Metal Group operates in more than 250 locations in Sweden Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Russia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Romania and the USA. www.stenametall.com