MEIKO'S WasteStar CC PLACES A FIRM FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND HYGIENE WHILE SETTING IMPRESSIVE NEW TECHNICAL STANDARDS.
When it comes to the sustainable use of resources, Zurich has a prime example on its doorstep in the form of the Umwelt Arena (Environmental Arena), a truly remarkable exhibition and trade centre. Sustainability, renewable energy sources, and food and nutrition are the main themes at this venue, though it also addresses how these factors can help foster a combination of eco-friendly mobility and housing in the future. The venue offers conference rooms for events and an array of fascinating exhibitions for visitors, but what makes it special is that the building itself offers an impressive example of sustainability in action. Integrated as part and parcel of the structure, a multitude of solar arrays help make this a carbon neutral building. By producing more electricity than required, they effectively turn the building into a small-scale power plant. The Umwelt Arena is dedicated to passing on knowledge and raising awareness among all its visitors, demonstrating how individual products and building services engineering can help create a more sustainable future.
MEIKO has long recognised the potential value of unused food waste in a sustainability context, and the mechanical engineering company has applied this expertise as a key element of the Umwelt Arena project. MEIKO's WasteStar CC places a firm focus on sustainability and hygiene while setting impressive new technical standards.
The food waste produced by the Arena kitchens is turned into biogas using the WasteStar CC. This is then used in a combined heat and power plant to produce heat and electricity. That means some of the energy used in producing the food can be recovered. This perfectly matches the philosophy of the Umwelt Arena, which believes that the venue and its exhibitions should be climate neutral and as environmentally friendly as possible. The WasteStar CC processes every gram of uneaten food into what is known as a substrate, which is then fed into the building's biogas plant. With no need to store the waste or transport it by truck, the Umwelt Arena benefits from a renewable biogas energy source while kitchen staff enjoy a superb working environment.
Max Chopard, who heads up exhibition projects at Umwelt Arena, is pleased with the results: "We're delighted with the innovative, energy-efficient WasteStar CC food waste treatment system from our partner meiko. It offers a sustainable solution that enables us to actively exploit food waste as a valuable resource. Nowadays everyone knows that we need to avoid wasting food as much as we possibly can. But some wastage is inevitable, and that's where sustainable food waste treatment comes in." The successful integration of the WasteStar CC at Umwelt Arena clearly demonstrates its commitment to conserving resources, fostering sustainability, and creating good working conditions for its staff.
