Food Waste into Biochar
The use of food waste in the production of value-added biochar products is one promising method in circular economy in terms of the tourism industry. The case of Machu Picchu recycle 100% of its solid waste into bio-char.
The Municipality of Machu Picchu collaborates with its partners Inkaterra and AJE Group to transform food waste into biochar in a local pyrolysis plant. Biochar is a potent fertilizer which, in this case, is being distributed to the local producers, reducing their costs as fewer fertilizers need to be purchased while enhancing the capacity of the soil to absorb carbon. Additionally, the cooking oil used to end up in the Vilcanota River is being transformed into biofuel, which is used for heating some of the hotels replacing diesel and mixed with diesel in the case of vehicles, reducing the dependency on fossil fuels. Lastly, the glycerine resulting from the process of creating biofuel is being used to clean the streets.
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