Portlaoise prisons could soon be cutting waste by rotting it for compost

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has launched plans to produce its own compost and reduce its waste by means of techology which it also claims will teach inmates to recycle.

The Service has revealed its composting and recycling plans for prisons in Laois and other parts of Ireland in a new contract tender to recycle food and other organic waste.

"In order to reduce the Irish Prison Service carbon footprint the Contracting Authority has a requirement for the supply, delivery, installation and maintenance of Bio-Digesters across the IPS estate," said the documents.

The service says the estimated value of the four your contract will be €1 million. It outlines its expectations from companies interested.

"The supplied equipment/device is expected to be able to turn food, garden waste and carbon produce such as cardboard etc. into a viable bio-fertiliser/composting material for direct use within the horticulture workshops and garden areas of the IPS," it says.

The Service also outlines the rationale.

"The IPS wish to embark on a project to reduce our carbon footprint and in doing so provide a platform for teaching prisoners about recycling/upcycling and how this process feeds into a circular economy. This initiative aims to introduce prisoners to the
benefits of a recycling process from start to end points demonstrating sustainability and equipping them with skills that can be utilised for daily life and with ideals that can feed into a wider awareness of environmental issues," they say.

Benefits to the IPS are also outlined as follows.

•  Prisoner education and development of life skills
•  Reduction in costs associated with food waste removal
•  Reduction in costs attributed to purchase of fertiliser and compost material for
  Horticulture
•  Reduced carbon footprint due to less frequent transportation needs.
•  Food waste won’t accumulate on site awaiting collection, it will be processed daily and consequently there will be lesser controls required in terms of vermin etc.
•  Reduced costs associated to purchase of compost/fertiliser.

A biodigester is a system that biologically digests organic material, either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobically (with oxygen). Microbes and other bacteria break down organic materials in a biodigester. Most food, including fat, greases, and even animal manure, can be processed.

The contract was offered in May 2022.