1. Biological Wastes Overview 12-13-2014

2. The NewVista food system is full-cycle. Farming and daily living create biological "wastes," which are valuable and can be recycled. Rather than flushing organic byproducts downstream, NewVistas retains and uses them as part of a complete life-cycle support system. It does not provide a conventional sewage system.

3. Purposes and Targets The purpose of the biological waste project is to describe in detail how biological waste will be processed and then to demonstrate the process, carefully documenting results. Targets: 1. Capture of virtually 100% of organic wastes generated in the community. 2. Return of organic wastes usefully to the soil or productive use in greenhouses. 3. Deal adequately with smells and health concerns of treating organic materials close to living areas. 4. Pharmaceutical neutralization and monitoring systems for the safe element recovery established

4. Issues and Questions Conventional sewage systems treat organic wastes solely to neutralize their threat to public health, then take them to a landfill or send them on downstream. Gathering and using human waste is technologically feasible, but it requires a replacement of sewer and septic systems. There are a number of alternatives, including separation toilets. Issues: 1. Functional non-flush toilet. 2. Treatment of urine together with (or separately from) feces, as well as paper and other items in toilets. 3. Length of time needed for composting human waste vis-a-vis other organic wastes. 4. 200 lbs per person per year. 5. Public health is an imperative; safe disposal.

5. Low Water Toilet NewVistas replaces conventional sewer systems with a low water toilet. Foam is used to conceal odors and provide a clean appearance. Waste is transported from the toilet to a composting unit in the village. The absence of a central sewage system makes irresponsible disposal of biological wastes highly inconvenient. Composting toilets minimize water use and allow biological waste to be turned into compost for fertilizer.

6. Nutrient Slurry and Bioponics In conjunction with anaerobic composting, a nutrient slurry can be created from the wastes produced by humans, plants, and animals in order to produce a full-cycle, sustainable hydroponic nutrient fertilizer.

7. Waste Collection and Composting NewVistas implements a complete system that makes productive capture of human wastes and household organic wastes convenient. Farmers oversee processes for gathering agricultural wastes or leaving them in the fields.

8. Gathering and Using Household and Agricultural Waste Organic household wastes include table scraps, pet wastes, and wastes from house plants. All of these can be gathered and composted. The great majority of organic waste generated in a NewVista community will be agricultural and animal waste. The NewVista food model assumes 47,000 lbs of plant waste per person per year and ____ lbs of animal waste. NewVistas cycles 1000 lbs / person / year of organic waste instead of sending it to a landfill. This allows for a robust agriculture system without the need to import nutrients or chemical fertilizers.

9. Composting Composting works. It reduces the need for other fertilizer. There are a number of high tech and low tech composting options. Professional farmers in NewVista will manage composting processes. Issues: 1.Sources suggest that about 1/2 of compost should be comprised of plant waste; the other 1/2 should be comprised of human waste, animal waste, table scraps, and the like. 2.Odors must be contained. 3.Pathogens must be neutralized. Vertical composters are effective in turning all kinds of organic wastes to compost. Vertical composters may be used throughout the community to compost all organic household and agricultural waste and used as agricultural fertilizer.

10. Anaerobic Digesters and Aerobins Anaerobic Digesters are scalable to any size. There is minimal nutrient loss and the fertilizer is in a slurry-state. NewVista's own experiments with an Aerobin composter suggests that it will work and will be adequate even for human waste. Aerobin is a small commercially available composter that functions in a way that is similar to the NewVista composter. The Aerobin composter typically accepts household wastes in layers, taking about 6 months to generate compost.

11. Digesters and Biogas Biogas may be an option as a limited energy source if 100% of organic wastes cannot productively be recycled into the soil. Biogas is generated through anaerobic decomposition, and an effluent is left over for use as fertilizer. Issues: 1. Anaerobic decomposition does not effectively destroy pathogens, and therefore must be coupled with aerobic decomposition or other treatment processes if the effluent is to be used as fertilizer. 2. In general, it's better to return organic wastes to the soil rather than burning them for fuel.

12. Food Waste Developed nations waste a tremendous amount of food. Most of that food is sent to landfills, where it wreaks environmental damage instead of being returned usefully to the environment. The NewVista approach turns a problem into a benefit. NewVista biological wastes are used to continue to support life and not deter it. This is a benefit for multiple reasons. It saves time and energy but also helps people be more aware of their actions, enhancing quality of life through increased learning and the ability to help others as they also become more aware and responsible.