Cleveland, Ohio: Stating that large-scale events are marked by huge amounts of food going waste, Emerson has announced that it was able to convert over two tonnes of food waste, which was generated at the recently held Republican National Convention in Cleveland, into energy, by employing its Grind2Energy, a large-scale food waste recycling system.

Explaining the process, the announcement said that through Grind2Energy, large amounts of food waste from kitchens or from crowds at such facilities is ground on-site using an industrial-strength InSinkErator grinder, which is then converted into a slurry. The quasar energy group, a full waste-to-energy company, transported the material to one of their local anaerobic digestion facilities to extract methane for energy production and to produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment, said the announcement.

The company said that the environmental benefit is significant, and that impact adds up for bigger venues as commercial kitchens reportedly produce on an average more than 4,000 pounds of food waste a week. Food waste is a major issue across the globe — as much as one-third of the food we produce globally is wasted each year, according to United Nations estimates. The company observed that sending 15 million tonnes of food waste to anaerobic digesters instead of landfills – about half of the food waste discarded each year – can remove the carbon emissions equivalent of about half a million automobiles.

“We’re committed to being as green as we can, and Grind2Energy helps us achieve that in ways we never thought possible,” said Mark J Leahy, General Manager of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and Global Center for Health Innovation. “As a large and busy event space with multiple kitchens going every day, Grind2Energy is an area where we can make a big impact—on our food waste, energy and the planet.”

Chad Severson, President of InSinkErator, a business of Emerson, added: “Cleveland has emerged as a strong partner and leader in the effort to expand this ground-breaking technology to turn global food waste into a renewable energy. We hope more cities follow their example of environmental stewardship and advocacy.”