"World Heath Care Congress Affordable Health Innovations Exhibit and Awards" 7th Annual World Health Care Congress 2010

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Slaughterhouses are a major source of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the developing world. Specific regulations for abattoirs do often not exist or are poorly enforced. This represents an immediate environmental problem, affecting the development of aquatic life. Slaughterhouse waste also often carries diseases that can be transferred to humans. Communities depending on polluted water for consumption and agriculture face significant health risks. Moreover, the anaerobic degradation of wastewater generates methane and carbon-dioxide and thus accelerates climate change. Two African citizen-sector organizations, Green Globe Trust and the Global Network for Environment and Economic Development Research drew attention to this issue. Their solution is to develop a method for capturing the gas emissions and turning them to productive usages. Relevant technology for achieving this was created in association with a Thai research institution. The anaerobic fixed film bioreactor treats agro-industrial waste and produce biogas as well as organic fertilizer.

The initiative gained has international recognition, and the project was designed to be commercially viable. Producing around 270 m³ of compressed biogas a month, the plant generates return on investment after 2 years. With an estimated lifespan of 15 years, the plant creates substantial economic returns. The biogas plant generates several positive environmental, economic and social impacts. The plant was designed to capture 900 m³ of methane per day and emission reduction of 22,300 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The captured methane is upgraded and compressed for as household cooking gas which serves 5,400 poor households monthly. The predominantly poor families benefit from the gas because it constitutes a cleaner alternative to other commonly used fuels. At significantly lower cost than currently available sources of natural gas, it reduces indoor air pollution and associated health hazards in poor communities.

Many other cities across Africa are facing similar environmental challenge from untreated slaughterhouse waste. Through the use of innovative technology, it presents a solution to the problem of waste treatment which at the same time minimizes the carbon footprint of slaughterhouse operations and other organic wastes. Moreover, it is an economically self-sustainable and profitable initiative.

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