Agricultural and environmental authorities are facing significant challenges due to the African swine fever outbreak. Meanwhile, the critical role of sewage treatment in waste management seems to be neglected. In many countries with extensive sewage systems, kitchen waste is often ground up and flushed into the system for treatment at wastewater facilities. In Taiwan, however, the low coverage of sewers historically led to clogged pipes when kitchen waste, particularly greasy waste, was disposed of in this manner. Public recycling initiatives were introduced to alleviate this issue. Now, with fresh problems in kitchen waste disposal, sewage authorities are urged to support environmental agencies in tackling these challenges.
Following China’s first ASF outbreak seven years ago, Taiwan’s Executive Yuan approved a plan to enhance sewage system infrastructure, including emergency measures for wastewater plants to process kitchen waste. This involved installing anaerobic digestion tanks specifically for kitchen waste and utilizing existing sludge digestion systems. Despite these plans, progress has been slow, and incineration or landfilling remains a temporary solution rather than a sustainable one.
Wastewater treatment plants have unused capacity in their sludge digestion systems, which could accommodate excess kitchen waste. Combining kitchen waste with sewage sludge could improve biological fermentation, boost biodegradation efficiency, and increase biogas production as a green energy source, without significant additional equipment. Implementing kitchen waste digestion in sewage treatment is technically feasible and presents an effective immediate solution.
