Allan Gerlat, News Editor

November 27, 2013

1 Min Read
Cleveland Browns Start Food Waste to Energy Program

The Cleveland Browns have launched a program to turn food waste at its stadium into energy.

The project is a partnership with the Browns, Forest City Enterprises (Cleveland), the Quasar Energy Group (Cleveland), Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), InSinkErator (Racine, Wis.) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy (Rosemont, Ill.). The Browns are the first professional franchise to implement the Grind2Energy system from InSinkErator, according to a news release.

 At Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium food scraps that are collected and ground into a slurry and then transported to an anaerobic digester operated by Quasar Energy at Ohio State's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). At the anaerobic digester, which periodically adds cow manure to lower acidity and boost the methane, Quasar produces biogas for energy and fuel uses.

The system will divert 35 tons of food waste from landfills each season and generate enough electricity to power a single-family home for a year and a half.

"One of our top priorities is innovation, and this new system not only helps our stadium operate efficiently but also preserves valuable resources in our community," said Browns President Alec Scheiner.

About the Author(s)

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

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