Environmental Processing Systems

From our perspective, Environmental Processing Systems and Technology are made up of any mechanized industrial process that reduces the impact of a material workflow or waste stream on the natural environment. In this context, Environmental Technology can be applied across practically all industries and markets, specifically those that are traditionally recognized as large polluters – mining, power generation, steel mills, waste incinerators, and wastewater treatment plants, to name a few.

We like to say that economy and ecology should not be contradictory. As such, we provide systems that support a multitude of mechanical, chemical, thermal, and biological processes that cut environmental impact in a cost-conscious manner. If a process uses less raw material, improves sustainability, reduces emissions and non-reusable waste, or converts waste into a usable product, it’s an Environmental Technology to us.

Lodige has many systems installed across the globe helping to protect and reinforce our environment. In short, our systems are used to prevent and reduce waste, conserve resources, repurpose waste streams, and recycle and reuse materials. A few examples include:

• Sludge conditioning and stabilization
• Treatment of compost made of a wide range of organic residues
• Treatment of refuse derived fuels
• Immobilization of waste
• Treatment of incineration residues
• Conditioning of refinery and drilling sludge
• Treatment of metallurgical residues for reuse
• Increasing the adsorption capacity of additives for flue gas desulphurization
• Preparation of materials for underground use (tailings/backfill)
• Co-use of residual materials for the production of battery masses

Regulatory governance in the realm of environmental technology is based on three tiers of responsibility: agencies that regulate pollution from industry into the environment, agencies that regulate natural resources, and agencies that regulate operations and systems that impact the first two arenas. Lodige systems have been and continue to be deployed into applications that satisfy all relevant environmental regulators, including:

• ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)
• ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
• EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency)
• DOE (US Department of Energy)
• DOI (US Department of the Interior)
• ICC (International Code Council)
• UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory)
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
• IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)
• CE / EN (Conformité Européenne, or European Technical Conformance)
• OSHA (U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
• Multiple additional regional and industry-specific standards

Pulling from our past projects, here are examples of specific environmental hazard reduction applications:   

• Airborne Pollutants: agglomeration of fine filter dust from a metallurgical mixing process to improve dust capture and disposal well under local air board requirements.
• Water Contamination: separation and mixing of filling sands in ore mining to improve compaction, substantially reducing run-off and percolation losses to groundwater. 
• Municipal Waste: converting municipal water treatment waste sludges into a reusable compost by mixing with bulk organic materials, completely eliminating sludge landfilling. 
• Industrial Byproducts: moistening of fly ash and dust from waste incineration plants to reduce and convert byproducts into useable construction materials. 
• Soil Contamination: mixing and formulating organic waste products to amplify biological decomposition, eliminate harmful reagents, and separate out usable biogas plant feedstocks, all to avoid landfilling and subsequent soil contamination.