When Doc Brown fed his DeLorean food scraps in Back to the Future as fuel, it seemed like crazy science fiction.
When Doc Brown fed his DeLorean food scraps in Back to the Future as fuel, it seemed like crazy science fiction.
Now science is taking over that fiction as UBC Okanagan researchers are looking at the potential of using fruit waste—both solid and leachate—to power fuel cells.
While the energy extracted from food scraps still pales in comparison to solar or wind power, researchers are working towards purifying and improving the energy output of discarded food, particularly fruit waste—an item that is in abundance in the agricultural belt of the Okanagan Valley.
According to the BC Government, organic waste represents 40 per cent of material in provincial landfills. In particular, food waste is an increasing problem for urban areas around the world. This is partly the impetus behind a push to harness this waste and turn it into energy, explains UBCO researcher Dr. Hirra Zafar.
Read more at: University of British Columbia
UBCO researchers are looking at ways to convert rotting fruit into energy. (Photo Credit: Joshua Hoehne via Unsplash)
