Turning to Solar for Cleaner Waste Management

Waste management is a necessity that most people do not think about. The most challenging aspect of waste management is making sure that the waste is treated in a way that does not put people in harm’s way and that the resulting effluent is safe enough to be disposed of properly. Because of all the steps involved in making this happen, a lot of energy and a lot of complicated steps are needed. Some countries are looking for ways to use less energy while making it easier to treat and dispose of waste. They are turning to solar-powered waste systems.

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An Alternative for Far-flung Communities

Solar-powered waste management systems are a godsend for communities that live in far-flung areas that are less likely to have electricity. It is also a feasible option for these communities because of the cost associated with running full waste treatment plants on electricity. 

The Asian Institute of Technology is spearheading this effort and has showcased two inventions that will revolutionize the way companies treat waste. They have developed two prototypes of a hydrocyclone toilet and a solar-powered septic tank which will work together and be distributed to remote rural communities.

How it Works

Traditionally, communities or individuals would contract a company like Satellite Industries to build an industrial vacuum truck. These trucks would transport waste to a treatment plant for both treatment and disposal. Now, communities can get these trucks to transport their waste to centers that have solar septic tanks that are just modified versions of the septic tanks we are used to. These septic tanks use solar heat to disinfect the waste. They also collect the gas released from this process to help heat the system.

An alternative to this is having the system installed on-site so people have a system that disinfects the waste instantly. 

Advantages of the Solar-powered Septic System

One of the biggest advantages of this system is that it does not use any electricity. It uses the power of the sun for all its processes and in this way helps to cut the cost of waste management, especially in areas where building full-scale waste management systems and plants are not possible.

These solar-powered septic tanks systems treat waste in a way that does not harm the environment. Since they are enclosed systems, all their products are not released until they have been deemed safe enough. These systems also eliminate the risk of environmental pollution that comes with other systems that can have leakages and spillages.

Everyone Is Excited About This 

From scientists to environmental groups, everybody is happy about this development. We might finally have a system that provides all the advantages of traditional waste management systems plus some with none of the downsides.

Waste management and disposal is expensive and comes with risks such as environmental damage from leaks and spillage. However, scientists from the Asian Institute of Technology have come up with an invention that will make waste disposal easier while eliminating all the downsides of how this has been done for decades.