Disposal of refuse and waste

Press, Issue 32535, 19 February 1971, Page 5

Disposal of refuse and waste

With the increases in world population, industrialisation ' and productions generally, there is the growing problem of pollution and the disposal of refuse and waste matter. Re-utilisation, rapid disintegration and conversion of such material is under investigation in many countries.

One scheme used in a number of cities in various parts of the world, including Auckland, is the processing of city refuse into compost which is then made available for purchase. In Japan there is a machine which compresses rubbish into dry. odourless blocks bound with vinyl mesh and at present these are being used in landfills until their durability is proved. The residue from sugar cane plants, known as bagasse, has come under investigation; tests have resulted in

the extraction of 501 b of valuable protein from approximately 2501 b of bagasse. This has been achieved by the discovery and utilisation of a micro-organism that breaks down cellulose waste and converts it into pure protein. Elsewhere rubbish is used to fire the boilers of electric generating plants, through smokeless incinerators.

A fermentation process is under study in an attempt to convert organic wastes such as crop remains and paper into natural gas for cooking. heating and lighting. Container disposal always presents a problem. One thought on this matter is the production of edible wraps for food. Other experiments are being conducted on bottles which melt away in a few days after being broken. Still another line centres on disintegration on exposure to sunlight when discarded, the residue being then turned into mulch.