Grantee Research Project Results
Converting Wastes to Commodities – Cost-effective, Environmentally Friendly and Beneficial Solution to Use of Poultry Litter
EPA Contract Number: 68HERC23C0032Title: Converting Wastes to Commodities – Cost-effective, Environmentally Friendly and Beneficial Solution to Use of Poultry Litter
Investigators: Hayes, Corinne
Small Business: Cleaned and Green, LLC
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I (2023) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Water , SBIR - Homeland Security , SBIR - Sustainability , SBIR - Air and Climate
Description:
Innovation
The Cleaned and Green (C&G) enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) technology is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and beneficial solution to the use of poultry litter. Litter applied raw, dried, or composted can negatively impact the environment and is impractical and unhealthy to transport long distances. C&G technology converts raw poultry litter to a superior, valuable, nutritionally balanced fertilizer significantly enhanced in nitrogen and sulfur through a simple process using readily available raw materials. The resulting EEF is safe for land application and transport.
Technical Feasibility
The C&G technological process is simple, utilizing small, modular plants (Phase II), leading to reduced costs, affordable product for the consumer, and allowing plants to be built near existing poultry operations. The process is energy efficient and recycles limited resources with no loss of nutrients while protecting the environment from the spread of waste-borne disease and drug residue.
Performance Comparison
C&G’s EEF and technology result in a net reduction of nutrient losses (nitrogen and especially phosphorus) to the environment via leaching, runoff, ammonia volatilization, and nitrous oxide emissions compared to conventional fertilizers. The C&G process is superior to current anaerobic digestion in the following ways: it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases cost-effectiveness in both capital and operational costs, simplifies production processes, eliminates drug residues from the starting litter, and successfully eliminates the harmful bacterial population normally present in manure fertilizers.
Commercial Potential
C&G fertilizer provides the market with a versatile poultry litter-based product rich in naturally occurring primary, secondary, and micronutrients that can be used in any environment. The fertilizer works with existing fertilizers and equipment, is available in various particle sizes, and has excellent storage capabilities.
Environmental Impact
Using untreated manures can have far-reaching negative environmental impacts, including exposure to pathogens and drug residues, release of greenhouse gases, water pollution, and nutrient buildup in waterways and estuaries. Through a well-designed strategy, manure fertilizers can solve many issues confronting the agricultural industry such as reducing soil degradation and improving fertility, increasing carbon reserves, and accelerating the cycles of key elements. The C&G EEF process improves the environment by preventing phosphorus buildup and protecting from litter contaminants while requiring no fossil fuels and producing no harmful emissions. C&G technology and plants can be implemented quickly and effectively to affect climate and environmental concerns now.
Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.