Characterized by high moisture content, a tendency to putrefy and emit odors, and a high susceptibility to bacterial growth, food waste represents a major challenge in urban organic solid waste management. Drying is the core process for the harmless treatment, volume reduction, and resource recovery of food waste; it rapidly removes moisture, eliminates odors, and kills harmful bacteria, transforming discarded food waste into reusable resources.
The complete food waste drying process comprises three stages: pre-treatment, drying, and post-treatment. First, the raw material undergoes pre-treatment; since raw food waste is often mixed with impurities such as plastic bags, tableware, and grit, manual or mechanical sorting is required to remove these items and prevent hard objects from damaging the drying equipment. Next, a shredder breaks down large, sticky chunks of waste into a uniform consistency, followed by mechanical dewatering using a screw press. This step reduces the moisture content from over 80% to approximately 60%, significantly lowering energy consumption in the subsequent drying phase and preventing the material from clumping or sticking.
Once pre-treatment is complete, the loose, moist material is transported via a sealed system into a specialized food waste dryer for continuous drying. The equipment employs a low-temperature, gradient hot-air drying process combined with an internal mechanism that breaks up and lifts the material; this ensures continuous agitation to prevent sticking or scorching while maximizing contact between the hot air and the material. Continuous hot-air circulation rapidly evaporates internal moisture, while the high-temperature environment effectively kills bacteria and insect eggs, thoroughly resolving issues related to decomposition and odor. The entire drying system operates in a sealed environment and is equipped with an exhaust purification system to effectively treat water vapor and odors, ensuring no secondary pollution and compliance with environmental emission standards.
After drying, the moisture content of the food waste is stably reduced to 10%–15%, resulting in a dry, loose, and chemically stable product that no longer decomposes or spoils. The processed material has a wide range of applications: it can serve as high-quality feedstock for producing bio-organic fertilizers and soil conditioners, be used as an additive for animal feed, or be processed into biomass fuel—truly transforming food waste from a liability into a valuable resource. Overall, the kitchen waste drying process is simple to operate and highly automated, enabling continuous, batch-style processing. It significantly reduces waste volume and weight—thereby lowering transportation and disposal costs—while ensuring thorough harmless treatment and maximizing the resource recovery value of the waste. Consequently, it stands as a highly efficient, eco-friendly, and mainstream method within the food waste treatment industry.
