Biosolids, the nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of sewage sludge, have long posed a challenge for waste management. Recent regulatory changes have complicated the issue, discouraging the once-common practice of using biosolids for landfill cover. This shift has made landfill disposal more expensive for municipalities. However, innovative technologies are now transforming these materials into valuable resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and landfill usage while creating sustainable products. Two notable Bay Area companies are leading the charge:

Bioforcetech: From Biosolids to Carbon-Negative Materials

In Redwood City, Bioforcetech is revolutionizing biosolids management through an innovative drying and pyrolysis process. This method transforms municipal biosolids into a clean, stable material called OurCarbon®

Key features of the Bioforcetech process:

1. Carbon sequestration: The process effectively “fixes” carbon, preventing its breakdown into greenhouse gases for centuries.
2. Concrete decarbonization: Approximately 90% of the OurCarbon® is used as a partial substitute for sand in concrete, storing over 1 pound of CO₂ equivalents for every pound used.
3. Petroleum-based pigment replacement: The material also serves as a sustainable alternative to carbon black in inks, coatings, and polymers.

The environmental impact is significant. For every ton of OurCarbon® produced, 24 tons of CO₂ emissions are avoided through landfill diversion, and 1.02 tons of CO₂ are directly sequestered within the material.

Left photo: Bioforcetech Co-Founder & COO Valentino Villa explaining the workings of the patented biosolids dryers to UCCE Advisor Natalie Levy and Santa Clara County UCCE Compost Education Program Coordinator Victoria Roberts at the Silicon Valley Clean Water, Wastewater Treatment Plant in Redwood City. Right photo: Mr. Villa demonstrating the properties of the odorless OurCarbon® powdered product of pyrolysis.

Lystek: Transforming Biosolids into a Safe Liquid Fertilizer

At their Fairfield Organic Material Recovery Center (OMRC), Lystek uses an innovative approach that not only diverts biosolids from landfills but also creates a valuable agricultural product. Biosolids from around the Bay Area are transformed using heat and high pH into a pathogen-free Class A liquid fertilizer called LysteGro.

Photo: Lystek GM/Business Development Manager Jim Dunbar (right) leading a recent tour of the OMRC facility in Fairfield.

Compared to burial in a landfill, application of biosolids to agricultural land greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, by using the nutrients in the biosolids as fertilizer, we can avoid the energy-intensive greenhouse gas emitting process of synthetic fertilizer production, such as extracting nitrogen from air through the Haber-Bosch process or mining phosphorous from finite mineral deposits.

These innovative technologies in the Bay Area demonstrate ways that waste management challenges can be transformed into opportunities for sustainability and resource recovery. By turning biosolids into valuable products like carbon-negative materials and high-quality fertilizers, these processes are paving the way for a more circular and environmentally friendly approach to organics waste management.