Overview

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the most commonly used technology to treat food waste in many European countries.It produces a secondary fuel and by-products are produced which can be used commercially.

AD also deals with waste streams that can be difficult to minimise or recycle and therefore reduces the amount of waste being sent to landfill. This avoids landfill tax and reduces emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas, methane.

AD Process

AD is a managed biological process in which biodegradable waste is broken down by naturally occurring micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen. AD can reduce the volume of waste by approximately 60% and can be integrated with a range of other waste treatment systems.

Food waste can only be treated using AD technology if the plant is licensed and complies with Animal By-products regulations.

Segregated or mixed biodegradable waste can be treated by anaerobic digestion but treating mixed waste can result in contamination of the liquid and solid residues which can potentially make them unsuitable as soil conditioners or fertilisers.

Waste collected and brought to an AD facility is screened in the first instance to remove non-biodegradable materials such as plastics, metals, stones, etc…. Biodegradable material is then shredded to a uniform size and transferred to an enclosed, oxygen free pre-heated vessel.

Bacteria within the vessel digest the biodegradable waste over a period of up to thirty days and biogas is produced during this period. Once the cycle is completed, the digested matter is then pumped into a storage tank where biogas continues to be produced.

Residual digested material is separated to produce fibre and liquor which is normally refined for use in horticulture or agriculture. Residual waste material is stabilised and compacted in order to reduce leachate, this is then disposed of as inert waste in landfill.

Waste water produced as part of the process is passed through a treatment process to deal with nitrates.

Fuel and by-products

The process produces high levels of methane rich biogas which is used to generate electricity or heat which can be used to power the AD process itself, any excess is fed back into the grid generating a revenue income stream (this is commonly known as Energy from Waste – EfW).

Fibre is a nutrient rich by-product which can potentially be used as a soil conditioner. The quality of this fibre has to meet the Publicly Available Specification (PAS 110) standards and the end use will depend largely on the type of waste input and the extent of residual refining.

Liquor generated through the process can be used as a liquid fertiliser. However, as with fibre, the quality of this product is strictly controlled and end use depends heavily on the type of waste input and the extent of residual refining.

Waste water and water vapour is sent to a wastewater treatment plant, thereafter, if suitable it may be applied to farmland as liquid fertiliser.

UK AD Capacity

Presently, there are around 215 AD plants within the UK. These facilities have the capacity to process just over 5 million tonnes of suitable waste materials per annum with a total installed generating capacity of just over 170MW of electricity. These facilities fall into five broad categories.

Industrial AD plants facilities which accept wastes arising from ‘on-site’ activities.
Non industrial plants and integrated waste management facilities which accept food waste from commercial and municipal sources
Integrated waste management facilities are large scale waste processing sites which use various technologies to process a wide range of wastes as well as integrating food waste AD into the facility.
Demonstrator plants (food waste)are small scale plants which process small amounts of food waste
Farming AD plants process manure/slurries and purpose-grown crops
Sewage treatment facilities are used by the water industry as a sewage treatment method
At the present time, the UK currently generates approximately 290 million tonnes of waste per annum.Around 12 million tons of the total is made up of food and packaging waste.

With the pressure on the UK to meet fast approaching deadlines for waste reduction / recycling targets set under the European Landfill Directive;

By 2010, the waste sent to landfills should be 75% of that sent in 1995
By 2013, the waste sent to landfills should be 50% of that sent in 1995
By 2015, the waste sent to landfills should be 35% of that sent in 1995
and with the landfill tax escalator now at £56 per tonne (set to continue increasing by £8 per tonne per annum) and ambitious time bound targets for segregated collection and recovery of food wastes driving demand, it is clear that the AD process hasa key role to play in the hierarchy of waste treatment in the UK.

Timescales for developing AD facilities vary widely, typically this in the region of three to five years from design to operational phase. Several influencing factors include;

the capacity of the plant – this will determine the type of planning consent required
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Permitting arrangements
the need for any additional site / waste infrastructure
the ability to secure longer term waste supply contracts
public consultation
On this last point, the idea of food waste collections and waste treatment and disposal remains a highly emotive subject. An effective and transparent communication strategy is essential to minimise difficulties with the planning process.

Starting a coffee shop, after all, is starting a real business. And, as with any real business – there are going to be challenges.

Finding suppliers with reasonable prices, looking for seating that doesn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg, and sourcing good coffee, are all challenges that you will eventually have to face. One of the greatest of these challenges though, will be finding the actual equipment you are going to need to run you coffee shop.

Buying New

Obviously the easier solution for this problem is simply to buy the all the equipment you need new. And, while this is certainly a viable option, it is extremely expensive. You can easily expect to spend upwards of 20k USD, for all new coffee shop equipment.

Buying Used

This is where you can end up saving a lot of money on the start-up of your endeavor. For example, a new barista machine might cost you $8,000 dollars. But, a used machine might go for half of that (and still be perfectly usable.)

How to Source Used Coffee Shop Equipment

The trick is actually finding the equipment that’s been used. There are three excellent ways of getting this done.

1. Network

The best way to find used equipment is to be well-connected with other restaurant owners and sales reps in your industry. I used to work in a store that sold restaurant equipment, and even though we didn’t make a practice of dealing in used pieces, we often knew where you could find them and how much they might cost.

Secondly, all the restaurant owners that were successful and buying new equipment form us, would try and use us to move their old pieces. So, know a local salesman of new equipment is often to your advantage.

2. Out of Business Shops

The second best way to get used coffee shop equipment is to find coffee shops that are currently out of business, soon to go out of business, or recently gone out of business. Find the owner of these shops any way you can. They are often sitting on large loans, and would do anything to move some of the equipment for cash.

3. Find Used Re-Sellers

The final way for you to find used equipment is to search Google and the phone book for re-sellers of used equipment. Keep in mind, however, that you will often spend more money with a re-seller than you would if you bought the equipment directly from the original buyer. They do have to make money after all.

The advantage of buying from a re-seller is that the equipment will be very clean and ready to put into your establishment.

Conclusion

Don’t get to stressed about finding equipment for your coffee shop. With a little hunting, some determination, and maybe a little luck, you shouldn’t have too much trouble sourcing what you need. Ultimately, you will likely have to buy a few items new, but sourcing as much used as you can is certainly to your advantage. And, it will keep your pocket book full!

Today, the number of people who visit restaurants is very high. This is a huge contrast to a couple of centuries ago where the number was very small. Experts today rate the restaurant business as being among the most successful businesses in the world. That said; with such a high number of people frequenting these places on a daily basis it is becoming more and more challenging for restaurants to provide their customers with high quality service since they do not have an accurate figure of the customers they are to expect in a given day.

Well, this need not be the case. With the introduction of online booking systems and scheduling software, restaurants can now comfortably cater to the needs of their customers who are increasing with each passing day.

Online booking systems are systems that were specifically designed to maintain order in this service industry among other factors. Restaurant owners can choose to use this software and subsequent system in their establishments to help them grow their business. Below are a few benefits that restaurants can enjoy if they decide to implement an online appointment scheduling system into their place of work.

Apart from assisting restaurants to keep track of the number of customers that they receive, online appointment scheduling systems also assist restaurants avoid inconveniencing customers. This is a phenomenon that used to happen in the past especially where five star restaurants were concerned. During that period, restaurants employed staff members to book customer appointments. In that time, customers were required to either; call the restaurant and book a reservation or show up personally in the restaurant residence to guarantee themselves a table.

With time, it was discovered that some appointments were double booked or the staff in charge of handling customer reservations booked customers at a wrong date or time. It goes without saying that this caused friction between some customers who blamed such restaurants for negligence. To avoid soiling a restaurants reputation based on staff members’ error, restaurants today can implement online appointment scheduling systems. These systems require customers to go online and make a reservation. Customers can choose the date and timeslot that they would like to have a table reserved for them at a particular restaurant and they can rest assured that there will be no mix up when they go to claim their reservations.

On another note; online booking systems have been proven to raise the reputation of a restaurant. For instance, restaurants that have this system are perceived to be of a very high standard. This is because very few restaurants have implemented this system.

Another option that you may not realize is that you can build your own cart. This can literally save you thousands of dollars while having the pride and joy of building it yourself. This way you can customize it to the exact specifications that you want.

The laws governing your particular state will have specific requirements regarding how your hotdog cart should be outfitted. One such requirement is the number of sinks. Some States only require one sink and others four or more. Some states may require sneeze guards. These are issues you need to find out beforehand.

Getting licensed is another issue. In most cases you cannot just go down to any street corner and start selling hotdogs. You will need a business license required by your local and state government. A Health Department Permit. A food handlers license. Your cart will need to be approved by the city in which you live. Go to your local city clerk’s office or find them online. They will have the information you need for starting a street concession/vending business.

Discuss with your cart manufacturer your situation and what your state requires. If you build your hotdog cart yourself you can easily add the equipment your state requires. I have seen some incredible self built hotdog carts. It truly amazes me of the idea’s people come up with. Build it to the correct specifications. Keep your cart clean. You will pass with flying colors.

If the Hotdog Cart manufacturer is a reputable one they will work with you. They understand about state requirements. They should also be able to supply you with blueprints of their carts. If they cannot provide any of this. Look elsewhere.

Find a location(s) This is really the most difficult part of the process. You can be stationary, travel to festivals, cater birthday parties, work grand openings, etc. You could locate near a college campus. This is the perfect meal for a college student. Especially, if they are on the go between classes. Children’s birthday parties is another great idea! I bet not many caterers offer this option. The hotdog cart itself is the attraction.

Brand yourself. Dress appropriately. You do not have to wear a chef’s hat but be clean with a nice shirt. Maybe, a polo shirt with your logo. Jean’s are okay but make sure they are not worn. No cologne. You want them smelling your delicious hotdogs not you. Project a professional image.

Come up with a logo, color scheme, a banner, a canopy over your operation, etc. I can still remember Hot-Dog on a Stick’s colors. Red, yellow, blue. Your umbrella will be an attention getter. Make up a professional menu board. Create fun names for your offerings. So, the next time your customers come to see you they will remember what they ordered. The name will stick in their head. You can name a hotdog after your city’s Mayor or a Baseball player in your hometown. You get the idea.

Decide on a menu When starting out you probably have ideas of an elaborate menu. Five different types of hotdogs and sausages, exotic toppings, etc. My best advice is K.I.S.S. Keep it super simple. A good quality hotdog, chips, and soda. Condiments could be: ketchup, mustard, onion and relish.

Do not try to locate a contact a food distributor at least when starting out. They will usually require a minimum order. Go to your local club warehouse. They will have everything you need to get started. A warehouse should have several good quality hotdog brands. They will have some utensils, condiment pumps, etc. Your hotdog cart manufacturer should be able to help you out with anything else that you may need.

Keeping a simple menu, will save you a lot of headaches. Especially, when starting out keeping it basic will help you serve your customers in a more timely and efficient manner. Keep your customers happy! These products are also classified by the health department as non-hazardous foods. This will give you a much easier pass inspection by your local health department.

So, in conclusion, there is quite a lot to think about when starting a Hotdog Cart Business. Treat it like any other business. You may want to write business plan. You will need this if your planning on applying for a loan. The topics that I have touched on such as; cart selection, location, licenses, permits, food and branding are some of the main elements to think about when starting this business. I hope the idea’s in this article will help get you on your way to a fun and profitable business.

Not long ago, I was discussing this with an acquaintance and we were talking about the need for entrepreneurs and innovators to be able to compete in the marketplace of ideas. It’s not always the best idea which comes to market, or is thrust into fruition – rather, often it is the idea with the best spokesperson, or marketing team behind it.

In fact, I told my acquaintance that I tended to agree with him; “every great concept, needs a good spokesman or the idea is left in the ashes,” and really that is too bad, but everyone competes in the marketplace of ideas, so, it’s Game On! It hardly matters where in the world you live, it’s always the same. You could be a peasant in China, live in the African Congo, or be a startup entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, either way, you must compete to get your ideas heard to get the resources, help, and capital you need to bring them to market.

Victory often goes to the bold, and therefore it goes to the standout or outlier who is willing to stick his neck out, and make it happen. Anyone can have a good idea, although very few ever do, but even so the idea is the easy part. How do you think I would know that? You see, I’ve spent the last 10-years in retirement dreaming up new original ideas, concepts, and innovations. Often I put them onto the Internet through online articles, or post them to Internet forums.

Luckily, many of my concepts have been read by others, and they’ve decided they were good ideas, good enough for them to get behind them and go do something about it. That’s a good thing, and I’m proud to say that those ideas or inventions originated in my own brain. It’s not that someone wouldn’t have eventually thought of them, it’s that I did first. Still, merely putting an idea on the Internet, or writing it down somewhere is not enough, not usually.

Sometimes it is if the right person reads it, but with all the information flow these days the chances of that happening are not good for any individual idea – therefore, you have to come up with thousands of ideas to get a few to be heard, or you have to pick one yourself and go do it. This is why every inventor and innovator of any new idea or concept must compete in the marketplace of ideas. Therefore, I wish you continued success and good luck; “this is your mission if you choose to accept it.”

This article will outline the key steps in the design process for a consumer product made from injection moulded plastic.

The first step is research. The current market must be assessed for competitor products and also the reasons why the market leader holds this mantle. Is there a gap in the market for your product? Has it been produced before and if so, what key elements are missing that could improve the concept?

Next is concept development. This involves brainstorming and a large number of thumbnail sketches. From this wide collection of sketches, a select few are developed further and scrutinised to ensure they now meet cost, safety, functionality and manufacturing criteria.

3D rendering software is then used to produce photorealistic imagery. This is very useful for critically assessing the product before any substantial amount of investment is committed to the project. Production tooling for a high volume product is very expensive, therefore carrying out further market research at this stage to get valuable consumer insight can be very cost effective.

Finite element analysis is carried out on the components to ensure that they will perform as required using the correct engineering materials. Once market feedback and analysis results are digested, the design can be modified and a physical prototype can then be produced for further market research and analysis.

After approval of the fully functioning prototype, the product is signed off and the production tooling begins. CAD software is used to accurately design the tooling taking into consideration various plastic shrinkage tolerances. The tools go through a number of test runs and are debugged accordingly to ensure that they still match the approved prototype both aesthetically and functionally. On completion of the tooling, the steel moulds are passed on to the factory to begin mass production of the final product.

Vendor selection is very important, as every vendor has a different specialisation. It is also strongly advised to use a vendor through a trusted recommendation to ensure that the vendor you choose is able to fulfill your requirements to an exceptional standard.

What I would like to concentrate on in this article is the philosophy and the real science behind the ability to tap into what is called the Creative Mind, or the Universal Mind. One thing I should mention before we get deeper into the subject is that you must drop all the barriers and have an open mind to some of the ideas presented to you in this article.

To answer your question, YES the Creative/Universal Mind is as valid as the air you breath and the electricity you use on a daily basis to live your life! You better believe it! Do not seek and do not ask how it is so, you just need to know that IT IS SO!

For those of you who do not accept this fact, let me put it in a simpler example, which I am sure you might have come across many times, and if not, well here is your chance! Let’s take electricity for example; can you as an individual actually see electricity? Ask yourself the following question: Did we humans create electricity?

The answer to both of these questions is no! We humans did not create electricity, and we humans do not see electricity! But, electricity exists in the universe and it existed from day one!

We humans, have discovered that there is such a phenomena in the universe called electricity, and we have been able to utilize the power of electricity to do and create great things such as radios, televisions, the Internet, and everything else which we have the pleasure of using today!

What does this have to do with The Creative Power you may ask. Well a lot, and by now I hope that the simple example given through the concept of electricity has given you some food for thought!

Each individual has the ability to do as they please! As long as what they please is always working towards the GOOD for the whole Human Race.

I have met so many individuals who have wanted to do so many great things but they all shared the same factor, they were all afraid to fail. The fear of failure is a very powerful destructive force which must be overcome before you can start producing all that is great! In other words, you set yourself in a virtual brick house due to your fears of failure!

If you have read so far, we are getting closer to the meat of the subject! Hang in there!

Everything come from Mind! Everything! Therefore it is very important for you to understand how to control your Mind! Because your mind is an extension of what is called the Creative Mind or the Universal Mind. And that is where everything happens!

This is something most people have a very hard time understanding or grasping. It is so simple but yet so difficult for so many to understand and comprehend! In reality you do not need to comprehend anything, you just need to know that IT IS THERE and you need to start utilizing it!

It is a time to relax and recharge, for parents to reconnect with the children, and perhaps to spend time in peaceful, natural surroundings away from the noise and chaos of the urban environment.

Good, healthy food, gentle exercise and perhaps a relaxing spa treatment may also all be on the holiday list and all are available in the best hotels in Manali, a lovely small town in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh.

Legend has it that Manali was the home of Manu, the first king of the earth, who found refuge in the town and made it his home and that it was from Manu that the town derives its name.

The small town was the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan. The area was originally populated by nomadic hunters known as ‘rakshas’. The next arrivals were the shepherds who settled to take up agriculture.

The area is now famed for its fruit orchards, apples introduced by the British, but also pears and plums, and for its tranquil forest walks and rich and ancient cultural history.

Use your five star hotel in Manali as a base for exploration of the many ancient monasteries and temples within easy reach.

One of the most famous is the 17th century Raghunath Temple built by Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu, and containing a statue of Lord Raghunath, Lord Rama, specially acquired from Ayodhya. The Kullu valley is also famous for its seven day festival of Dussehra which falls in October or November, depending upon the Hindu calendar.

For those who want more activity, the valley is the starting point for several trek routes. Some of which go over the Chanderkhani Pass to Malana, or over the Jalori Pass or Bashleo Pass to Shimla. There are also opportunities for white water rafting on the Beas river and for trout fishing for the keen angler.

The term travel trailer or mobile home is used interchangeably in the United States.

The concept of transportation via cart is very old and therefore their design is originated back to that of a horse-drawn carriage which was in use some 70 to 80 years ago.

As they can be used for official as well as personal purposes therefore they offer different functionality and come in various designs and sizes.

Some of the most commonly used trailer types are given below:

• Travel trailers

They are mostly used for traveling purposes either official or personal.

• Semi-trailers

They are used for purposes relating to company/ business as well as for personal entertainment. In comparison to the type stated above, they are more spacious and bigger in size.

• Close-coupled trailers

As they are closed, they are used to transport expensive heavy machinery to provide safety from bad weather conditions and dangerous situations like robbery.

• Motorcycle trailers

They are used for hauling motorbikes and bicycles mostly.

• Livestock trailers

They are used for hauling cattle for example cows, sheep, goats etc. They have a special ventilation system, which allows animals to breathe easily.

• Car trailers

They are specifically designed for hauling cars of different categories like race cars, sports cars, ordinary cars, etc.

• Dump trailers

They are mostly used for carrying waste and dump material.

The size ranges according to the type and the functionality of the trailers. Commonly found size in US is a trailer having 1 to 6 axles, 3 ft 6 height and 53 ft 0 lengths.

In addition to business purposes, they are also used for camping.

A lot of companies provide different price range for car trailers. The option of renting or buying is also available. These companies also provide design on demand for the customers and are available either offline or online. The online option is the most feasible of all the options as the client can easily choose and order a particular trailer for either a commercial or personal use with the help of a single mouse click. But when selecting a particular company always make sure that the companies are well reputed, because there are a lot of spamming companies available online that just grab and run away with the money.

So order a trailer based on three basic specifications i-e size, design and functionality from a well reputed company. Make sure to choose the best design and size to get the functionality which can suit one’s requirements perfectly, because an over sized trailer can slow down the journey where as an under sized trailer would not be able to fit the entire required luggage.