‘Wait, I’m turning food waste into gas? Is that even safe?’

So you’re thinking about how a MyGug anaerobic biodigestor could supercharge your business’s food waste goals.

At this point, you’re on board with the possibility of turning food waste into biogas for cooking and fertiliser for growing more food.

But naturally, a small niggling concern might have crossed your mind…

‘So I’ll be producing my own gas onsite… is that going to be a health and safety headache?’

After all, you’ve been (rightly) taught that gas is dangerous. Something to be wary of.

But also, you’re completely relaxed about life alongside gas cylinders and pipelines. On most days, they’re probably not even on your radar. Because you’ve long since become comfortable with the precautions to take to keep yourself safe.

So let’s do the same for MyGug and put your mind at ease. Because it’s not just an eco-friendly option for your food business, it’s a safe one too.

Here’s why…

Small amounts of gas = no big deal

 

With MyGug, you’re generating and using modest amounts of biogas each day.

It’s a process that’s far easier to manage and safer than dealing with pressurised cylinders. 

Put it this way… if there were a leak in a building from a gas cylinder or a gas pipeline, theoretically that whole pipeline or cylinder could empty into the building. Not so with MyGug.

Because you’re consistently creating and using such small amounts of gas, you never have a large quantity at any one time. And the gas you do have isn’t pressurised enough for it to be dangerous.

But even if there were a leak (which is unlikely), there’d be no need to panic. Since the gas is stored outside at atmospheric pressure, it wouldn’t go anywhere except up into the atmosphere.

That leaves you free to focus on running your food business without worrying about extra safety hazards.

Low risk of going boom

 

Still though… you might be wondering about the risk of explosion. It’s a natural concern when gas is involved.

Worry no more.

The thing about gas is that it’s only explosive when it reaches a certain level of concentration.

So for example, the room you’re in now (if you’re reading this indoors) would need to hold between 5% and 17% methane and then for a match to be lit for there to be an explosion.

With your MyGug, it’s pretty much impossible to reach that level of concentration. 

To do so, you’d have to take a full bag of the biogas (ignoring for the moment the bag will only be full if you’re not using the gas daily, and even then there’s an inbuilt safely outlet to stop it from overfilling) and you’d have to empty the contents of the entire bag into a very, very small room to achieve 5% to 17% methane. And then you’d have to light a match.

Basically, you’d have to go out of your way, making a concerted (not to mention foolish) effort.

Your biogas bag is always kept outside. So it’s impossible to meet the conditions for an explosion. Even if something bizarre happens to the sturdy bag – a rip or a tear or a burst – the gas is lighter than air, so the gas would just float up and away.

The bag itself wouldn’t float away, as it’s securely attached to the rest of the unit. It would simply deflate.

What if the bag catches fire? (Hint: It’s not the end of the world)

 

Solely for the sake of argument, let’s imagine the super unlikely does indeed happen… someone goes above and beyond to cause the (did we mention very sturdy?) bag to catch fire.

You’d see a surge of fire go up into the air before quickly dissipating.

It wouldn’t be ideal, but it also wouldn’t be a major catastrophe. 

It all comes back to the pressurisation of the gas in the bag. Even if a match were to somehow make its way into the middle of the bag (not that we’d ever suggest trying this out), it wouldn’t light. The methane concentration is too high. It doesn’t fall between the 5% and 17% concentration level necessary for an explosion..

We’re so primed to think that gas equals explosion hazard. But the biogas you’re producing isn’t pressurised, unlike the gas in a cylinder, and that’s what makes it safe.

Safety first, just like you’re used to

 

Just like the safety precautions you’re used to taking with any gas or electricity system, you’re going to take a similar common-sense approach to your MyGug.

Basic safety measures could include putting up fencing or panelling around the bag, adding a locked gate, and placing ‘no entry’ signs to let any customers who go astray know the area’s off-limits.

In addition to this, the gas bag can easily be tucked away in a back corner, sheltered from the elements and out of your customers’ view. This makes it simple to keep it out of sight, out of mind.

As for safety certs? You bet!

It’s not just us who can back up MyGug’s safety.

The unit has gone through some rigorous third-party safety assessments. 

It’s earned a CE marking which demonstrates its compliance with European health, safety and environmental protection standards.

The unit has also undergone an independent HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) study which painstakingly examined the probability of potential hazards and the effectiveness of in-built safety measures. We’re happy to report the HAZOP team gave MyGug the green light, concluding the unit poses minimal risk to users.

Fast-forward to a future where your food waste works for you

When you think about it, the MyGug food waste treatment system is simply replicating what nature does on its own…

A customer put it to us like this:

‘What’s most gratifying for me is the cooking gas. I’m very much against burning gas that wouldn’t naturally evaporate. But If you left food out to rot, it’d give off the methane anyway. So instead of it slipping into the atmosphere to contribute to greenhouse gases, you can put anaerobic digestion to use to generate cooking gas, creating a completely circular economy.’

Far from taking on a risky procedure, your MyGug allows you to accelerate a natural process and capture the energy for your own use. Your own ready-to-implement circular economy.

Your partner in sustainable AND safe food waste management

In a nutshell, MyGug is not only an eco-friendly solution for managing your business’s food waste, but also a safe one.

You can confidently use your MyGug to its fullest potential, knowing you’re doing your part for the environment while keeping your operations safe and sound.

But look – we don’t expect one safety discussion to have addressed all your questions. Get in touch with us and we’ll set up a chat about how MyGug can transform food waste for your business, and do so safely.