Waste in, green out? Escondido might not be known for waste management services industry innovation, but one such locally based company announced Thursday it had developed a new process to convert red bag medical waste into renewable energy that is returned to the electrical grid. While processes like that exist, this is one of the first of its kind in California.
Ingenium offices at Barham Drive.
Escondido-based Ingenium, an environmental services company with office at Barham Drive, launched what it called Bio-Inergy. The process renders red bag medical waste into solid trash using a state-approved technology. That trash is then converted into energy and put back onto the electrical grid, company spokesman David Oates said.
“The process offers a sustainable alternative to autoclave and landfill treatment, thereby removing potential long-term liability for the waste generator.,” Oates said. ” Bio-INergy also circumvents the need to send red bag waste out of state for incineration, reducing the generator’s carbon footprint.”
The program is specifically designed for generators of red bag medical waste, according to Ingenium. Therefore, sharps waste, pathological, chemotherapy and pharmaceutical wastes at this time are not eligible for program acceptance.
“Our clients, particularly those in the life sciences industry, are committed to societal responsibility and that includes developing sustainable operations,” Ingenium CEO Heather Dody said.
“With Bio-INergy they can significantly reduce landfill contribution and deliver measurable results to benefit their sustainability programs. It’s the latest addition to Ingenium’s full suite of programs that demonstrate our drive to consistently provide new ways to make hazardous and other regulated waste sustainable.
Red bag medical waste.
Waste Management Industry B2B news source, WasteDive, said addressing environmental and social responsibility in general have become priorities in biosciences/medicine — niches that exist to foster health and wellness and that are required to ensure no harm from the hazardous wastes they generate.
Bio-INergy is a natural extension of the pioneering Ingenium Emerald Energy program that converts non-infectious and non-hazardous debris/materials into waste-to-energy, Oates said.
Other Ingenium sustainability programs from Ingenium that started up in 2006, include Orphan ChemicalSM, INergy SolutionsSM and recycling programs. Complete information about Bio-INergy and all of the Ingenium hazardous waste sustainable programs can be found at http://www.pureingenium.com/sustainability.
