Project Goal 3: Implement research/demonstration effort for biogas using food waste

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Also in Nixyaawii, Awkú Čáwpam Áḱaatta!: “Nixyaawii, Don’t Throw it Away!” Project

Project Goal 1: Understand food waste types and volumes
Project Goal 2: Build community capacity to improve materials management
Longhouse Sustainability - Single Use Plastic Reduction Campaign

Bio Digester Demonstration

First Foods Policy Program and Biowaste Technology are excited to implement the main feature of our project, an anaerobic digester located at the Nixyaawii Longhouse. Details will be coming soon about this feature, so please look out for those!

A person stands at the project outreach booth in a wing dress, glasses, and KN95 mask in front of informational posters with images and text.

FFPP staff Colleen Sanders asks Celery Feast attendees to express their opinion on a potential location at the Longhouse to site the bio digester in Feb 2024.

Two people stand in the Longhouse kitchen laughing as items and activities are between them on the kitchen counter.

DeArcie Abraham with Biowaste Technology laughs with a Root Feast attendee as she weighs food waste diverted from the Feast’s prep kitchen (April 2024). Once the bio digester is installed, this food waste will be an input into the digester.

Carbon Calculations

When food waste decomposes without oxygen, it creates gaseous methane. If food is thrown into a landfill, it creates methane that can escape into the atmosphere and contribute to the climate crisis. When food waste is deposited into the bio digester it also breaks down to release methane, but this is trapped by the bio digester and syphoned into storage vessels and used as a direct use fuel, similar to butane. While carbon dioxide is emitted through combustion, a worse greenhouse gas is avoided by capturing the methane, and creates a bio fuel that can be balanced with the need for reliable renewable energy for Tribal communities.

Connection to EPA CPRG outreach with ODEQ

Initial community engagement for our food waste project was conducted concurrently with listening sessions in partnership with the Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). These listening sessions were hosted by CTUIR in support of ODEQ’s Priority Climate Action Plan development, as part of the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG). In these two listening sessions, held on Oct 5th and 6th, participants were asked to learn about existing carbon capture and removal options that are currently being implemented in our area, and indicate positive or negative perceptions of each. Posters for these different strategies were on display and participants were asked to place red or green sticky dots by concepts they either had concerns about or were in favor of, respectively. Two of these carbon management strategies were materials management and anaerobic digestion, both of which were received positively by event participants.

A group of people sit at long tables in the brightly lit Longhouse annex and look at a presenter on the far side of the room, gesturing to one of the many posters taped on the far wall.

Participants in the CTUIR Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) listening sessions at the Nixyaawii Longhouse sit at tables as they listen to “lightning round” short presentations by speakers about specific carbon management strategies occurring regionally (Oct 2023).

Two Tribal youth consider one particular carbon management strategy poster on the wall of the Longhouse annex, with three additional event participants discussing another poster in the background. Two high quality air purifier units are visible in the room.

Tribal youth consider educational posters about carbon management options happening regionally, placing sticky dots to indicate their thoughts on strategies they would like to see more or fewer of in the near future (Oct 2023).

An educational poster is taped to a wall at the Nixyaawii Governance Center displaying information about methane capture and anaerobic digestion. Green dots placed around the poster indicate participants’ interest in the concept, and one red dot indicates some concerns a participant has.

An educational poster is taped to a wall at the Nixyaawii Governance Center displaying information about methane capture and anaerobic digestion. Green dots placed around the poster indicate participants’ interest in the concept, and one red dot indicates some concerns a participant has (Oct 2023).

An educational poster at the Nixyaawii Governance Center displaying information about materials management like recycling and composting. Green dots placed around the poster indicate participants’ interest in the concept, which was completely unanimous.

An educational poster at the Nixyaawii Governance Center displaying information about materials management like recycling and composting. Green dots placed around the poster indicate participants’ interest in the concept, which was completely unanimous (Oct 2023)

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2024-70510-41990.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Webpage updated: Oct 31 2024

File Type Updated
CTUIR PCAP Anaerobic Digestion & Materials Management posters 2023 pdf 9/12/2024 10:12:35 PM