Economic Feasibility of a Municipal Food Waste Collection and Energy Generation Model

This study analyzes the economic prospects for the utilization of food waste collected from a variety of sources as feedstock for a standalone waste-to-energy (WtE) business model in Toledo, Ohio. This analysis intends to add a practical perspective to the quickly growing body of literature focusing on technical aspects of the anaerobic digestion of food waste for hydrogen and methane creation. The study examines economic constraints and possible solutions to promote widespread adoption of food WtE in the United States. In addition, waste managers in other geographical entities may replicate the methods and analyses described in the article to provide valuable, relevant information to policymakers and other stakeholders. The study includes a description of the methodology used to estimate the initial costs, annual costs, and annual benefits of an anaerobic digestion (AD) system, including collection costs, facility and digestion costs, electricity sales, and tipping fee revenues.