We throw food away which ends up in landfills with everything else we discard. Maybe you have a home compost solution set up (which is awesome) but soon this may not be the only option. New research turns food waste into energy.

The National University of Singapore has created a digester system that turns the waste into gas which is then used as energy. The anaerobic digester is like a stomach and uses some of the energy it creates to power itself. The rest is stored in batteries which can be used to power mobile devices or small electronics.

It can create between 200 and 400 kWh of electricity. The difference depends on the food that is deposited into the machine. As for the solid matter left behind, this can be converted to liquid fertilizers for farming. Though this process is still being researched, it’s an interesting way to process some of the world’s waste. Maybe one day your lunch can fill you and cellphone battery up.