Somat Demo TrailerTraveling from coast to coast, meeting genuinely good people along the way and seeing the sites are just a few reasons why Todd Heagy enjoys driving the Somat Demonstration Trailer. In this new position since January 2011, Heagy has the opportunity to take the Somat Company’s show on the road by promoting products that offer several benefits. Simply put, Somat’s Waste Pulping and DeHydration Systems cut cafeteria trash by as much as 95%. Both systems are easy to use, and Heagy shows this first hand while on the road demonstrating to potential customers. and the Somat Demonstration Trailer
The training truck is loaded and bags are packed when a customer expresses interest. Heagy and his trailer travel to the site where he sets up a pulping unit in about a half hour. A cafeteria team feeds their own food scraps and disposables – plastic straws, cutlery, mini-sip pouches, milk cartons, foam trays, hot and cold drink cups, and more – through the Somat Pulper. The unit mixes the waste with water and reduces it to a chopped, watery slurry within minutes. The water is then removed and re-circulated back to the pulping tank, leaving behind a semi-dry pulp. This pulp can then be transferred to the Somat DeHydrator System for drying.
Most demonstrations are over the course of one day, where sometimes Heagy spearheads three to four classes throughout. Heagy says, “This can vary from site to site depending upon the customer’s needs.” Heagy points out additional benefits to adopting the Somat Systems. Customers save money by reducing labor costs due to faster and easier clean up of food waste. Utility costs are lowered since water circulates for re-use. There is less trash, fewer pests and no more unpleasant smells. Kitchen floor space can be maximized in work areas, while less space is needed around a dumpster. The DH does not require any other material or chemical to dehydrate waste, will not consume any fresh water and does not discharge any “dirty water.” In fact, the only discharge from the DH unit is a “Sterile Biomass” and a few gallons of condensate runoff from the condenser unit.
Finally, while these systems can run independently from one another, when coupled they offer increased improvement to the environment by reducing trash in landfills, re-using water and limiting the frequency and costs of hauling trips. Sometimes Somat’s customers choose to recycle this waste as compost. Heagy says, “It’s neat to see people’s wheels turning when considering how to take the recycling as far as they see it – Every little bit helps.”
