"Food TranSmarter" for liquefaction of food waste - a convenient and hygienic way of recycling

Mobile Food TranSmarter(只供英文版本）

Whatever comes off your plate, powers your community

Our Mobile Food TranSmarter is a food waste pre-treatment unit, liquidizing food waste by converting it into slurry (mixture of solids and liquid) and filtering out undesirable substances. The slurry is then delivered to centralized waste management facilities by tankers. With a fully enclosed system, we equipped with an odor treatment unit, hygiene and odour nuisance to the surroundings are minimized. The Mobile design is created for quick deployment and targets events like Luna New Year Fair (年宵市場), food festivals or concerts, where a lot of food waste is produced with less desirable storage condition. Being awarded the Champion (Environmental Sustainability) and Most Favoured Award at the City I&T Grand Challenge, our next generation Mobile Food TranSmarter is developed to be modular, such that: 1) Less installation time is required; 2) No water supply is needed; 3) A swift and flexible deployment; 4) Reduced footprint; 5) Reduce energy consumption; and 6) Reduce maintenance and inspection. It also utilizes IoT modules and wireless communication where real-time operational data is available on our online platform so we can remotely optimize the system’s operation.

Dec 2021

Why Food TranSmarter?

My inspiration for the Mobile Food TranSmarter came from a Lunar New Year Fair, where I saw bins filled full of food like meat skewer, fish-balls and egg waffles. Keeping a clean and hygiene environment is more difficult as workers are less available and collection cost is going up. It becomes apparent that a new solution is needed, a more sustainable solution that can reduce cost and carbon footprint. Therefore, we recognized the need for the development of a food waste pre-treatment system that can be delivered to event at any location.

Mar 2022

From Idea to headache and to Solution

Our Food TranSmarter pilot trial in the Chinese University of Hong Kong was an resounding success, showing that it is economically and environmentally viable to pre-treat the food waste first in a decentralized manner. The Food TranSmarter has also reduced the area and complexity needed to treat food waste compared to convention waste management, but there still remains instances that simply do not have the space or time to accommodate a permanent installation. To achieve small footprint with same output capacity we incorporate solar heating to reduce energy and increase digestion rate. We also develop a robust frame to ensure the equipment is not damaged during relocation and at the same time keeping the total weight lighter that our current model. To simplify the operation even further, we have incorporated IoT features to have real time monitor, and provide data for system optimization and support preventatively maintenance ensuring minimal downtime. We have also decided to revolutionize the outlook of waste treatment equipment. Such equipment in the past has a negative stigma attachment with smell and bad hygiene like garbage truck or wase containers. We work with industrial designer to create a system that not only works well but look attractive. We have revamped the Food TranSmarter to bring it to the next level with more flexibility and aesthetic pleasing. We hope to use our Mobile TranSmarter to promote the concept of responsible food waste management to the public.

Sep 2022

Challenging time table with boarder closing

With COVID-19 and boarder restrictions in China it poses a great challenge to communicate with manufacturer. We have numerous on-line meeting with our partner and finally manage to get the machine on site on the last day of the City I&T Grand Challenge schedule, 30 September 2022. But we understand that pre-treating food waste was only half of the picture, we wanted to treat it and close the resource loop. The topic of valorization of food waste isn’t exactly new, but it is nevertheless one of the biggest challenges that we face. Thus, we have also built the receiving end of the pre-treated food waste from the Mobile Food TranSmarter, the Containerized 2-stage Anaerobic Digestion Plant. This plant will take the pre-treated food waste from the Mobile Food TranSmarter, and produce waste oil ready to be upgraded to biodiesel, high purity biogas, and a protein-rich sludge ready to be upgraded to animal feed. With the Mobile Food TranSmarter, our machine can now actualize true swift and flexible deployment, and complete the picture to provide value, to what was once wasted food.

Nov 2022

Pilot Trial

Pilot trial has been completed with households at Kam Tin Village via Endeavour Environment Education Foundation in November. A pilot user: “Daily collection and recycling of food waste on-site could reduce the hygiene issue of food waste storage.”