Who we are
We are Ecoterra and we deal with the integrated management of organic waste, but in order to better understand who we are, you need to understand something about the field in which we operate.
Food waste has become one of the biggest problems of the modern world. According to statistics, about a third of the food produced globally ends up being stored as waste, given that the practice of food waste amounts to an estimated 8% of greenhouse gas emissions. As a parallel, the food waste industry emits three times more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the amount of gas emitted by the airline industry.
In this context, the UN has adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promotes the balance between the three plans of sustainable progress – economic, social and environmental perspective, and one of the objectives requires Member States to take measures to reduce food waste per capita. 50% per capita by 2030. In order to prevent food waste, the countries involved must support and stimulate the collection of non-marketed or expired food products and their redistribution in safe conditions for the environment.
In Romania, recycling takes place at a very low level, almost 10 times lower than the recycling rate imposed by the objectives set by the EU Framework Directive on waste, a rule that aims to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the effects adverse effects in the context of waste generation and management, but also increasing the efficiency of the use of natural resources. The EU’s goal of circular recycling and environmental protection is an ambitious one, for which it has established new rules so that all Member States can participate responsibly to turn waste into resources and sustain a circular economy by reducing waste production, reducing their volume and maximizing the recycling percentage. The solution, efficient both from an economic point of view and as an eco-friendly approach, is the controlled anaerobic fermentation of organic waste in biogas plants, such as the Moara station, owned by the Ecoterra Biogas group.
By anaerobic digestion, the organic material can be used as a biogas or as a biofertilizer. Biogas is a biofuel, mainly a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can be used in the production of electricity and heat, and after the separation of carbon dioxide, including as fuel for vehicles.
In the case of organic waste, the production of biogas by anaerobic digestion (in an oxygen-free environment) is considered to be the optimal treatment, because it involves circular and permanent recycling of all nutrients, by transforming organic matter into clean and renewable energy.
The production of biogas by anaerobic digestion thus has the capacity to tick, simultaneously, all the imposed European directives regarding the production of renewable energy, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the sustainable management of organic waste.
The biofertilizer or compost, a by-product of the digestion process, is odourless and with a high nutritional composition, which recommends it as being extremely beneficial for agricultural use, representing an ecological and sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers used in agriculture. Such a production cycle lasts about 3-4 months, and on average, per year, Ecoterra produces over 15,000 cubic meters of superior fertilizers, which are then distributed on the profile market.
Services, processes and biological products designed to run in a circular manner can minimize the use of natural resources and intensely support the reuse, recovery and recycling of raw materials from organic waste.
Ultimately, the circular economy is, as analysts point out, a way to get the raw material without overusing the planet’s resources, while innovating the production system.
Food waste in figures
By reusing food, we can save the planet’s resources
A clean world, In which we should not waste, to cherish!
Reduce, Reuse. Recycle for Life!