Atacama Desert Mine

LOCATION Atacama Desert, Chile

INSTALL DATE February 2020

INDUSTRY Mining

Background

A global mining company with a 6000-strong labour force, has incorporated ambitious environmental impact reduction measures into its daily operations. Committed to providing a safe workplace, the Company was seeking an alternative to both storing food waste on site and having to transport this 180km to the nearest certified landfill location.

The Green Solution

Needing to adhere to strict regional regulations for the treatment of waste, the operators of the mine, in conjunction with their catering provider, sought technology that could process their organic waste safely on site, while also minimising their environmental impact. In contrast to other traditional technologies requiring extensive infrastructure modifications for operation, an easy to install WasteMaster 1000 system was commissioned and began converting the mine's organic waste in June 2020.

Positive Outcomes

• Circa 80% reduction in CO2-eq greenhouse gas generation, in support of the company's environmental targets

• Food waste haulage costs reduced by 1 00%

• In the first three months of operation, 67 tonnes of food waste were diverted from landfill, preventing a CO2 -eq of 90 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Environmental and Operational Benefits

• Significant improvement in site safety by reducing heavy waste collection vehicle movements

• One button operation makes WasteMaster easy to use with minimal training requirements without the need for microbes, bacteria, or water in the treatment process

• Pathogen free residue reduced the incidence of vermin and eliminated harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Salmonella or Listeria in the food waste treatment area