Ben & Jerry's factory in St. Albans, Vermont, converts thousands of gallons of ice cream waste into biogas for the state's electric grid. When producing new flavors, leftover ice cream waste is sent through underground pipes to anaerobic digesters where bacteria convert it into biogas. This process began in partnership with PurposeEnergy, which also receives organic waste from local breweries. The plant now supplies electricity to the Vermont grid, enhancing sustainability since food waste disposal in landfills is prohibited in Vermont.
Anaerobic digesters function "like an artificial gut," says Eric Fitch, CEO of PurposeEnergy, a biogas developer that partnered with Ben & Jerry's to build the new St. Albans facility. Bacteria in the digesters eat organic waste and then release a combination of methane and carbon dioxide.
PurposeEnergy and Ben & Jerry's have had a long relationship; PurposeEnergy also has a facility in South Burlington, Vermont, where Ben & Jerry's used to truck some of its ice cream waste.
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