The Toronto Zoo is turning poop into power and helping the environment in the process

When visitors atthe Toronto Zoo observe the rhinos, they're probably not thinking about the huge pilesof manure the animals are producing butDeserrai Buunksure is.

That's because it's part of her job to collect it. And it's physically demanding work.

"At this point, we'resitting at 500 to 600 pounds in a day," Buunktold CBC Toronto. That's more than225 kilograms.

As a Grade 3 keeperin the zoo's African Savanna section,Buunk'srole is much more than just collecting poop. She also takes care of the animals, observes their habits and spends time with them.

But all that dungshe's dealing with does havea purpose.

WATCH: How the Toronto Zoo is helping the environment by turning poop into power:

The Toronto Zoo is helping the environment by turning poop into power

3 years ago

Duration 2:52

A project more than a decade in the making at the Toronto Zoo started turning poop into power for 250 homes this year. The zoo is using manure from its animals to generate electricity at a site called ZooShare. Talia Ricci visited the site to learn more about the project.

As part of a project more than 10 years in the making, afacilitycalledZooSharestarted producing power for 250 homesthis year. Located on the zoo site,it does that by taking3,000 tonnes of zoo manureand 15,000 tonnes of local food waste annuallyand breakingit down to produce electricity. It also generatesheat and fertilizer.

Kyla Greenham, the manager of conservation programs and environment at theToronto Zoo, says its part of the zoo's sustainability platform toreduce its energy consumption and itsgreenhouse gasemissions.

"With over 5,000 animals, we produce a lot of manure every year," she said.

"By diverting our waste manure to the bio-digester, not only are we trying to deal with the amount of manure waste we're producing every year but we're producing a renewable energy source for the Ontario hydro grid."

The zoo came up with the ideaback in 2007, soGreenhamsays it's very exciting that the project is finally up and running.

'We're extracting value where others see waste'

Daniel Bida, one of the founders and directors of ZooShare,says the manure arrives from the zoo regularly.

"Theybring the dump truck here that collects from all the animal enclosures and they leave it in our manure shed where our operator takes the manure and drops it into the receiving tanks," he explained.

"There,it's mixed with the commercial food waste we receive from grocery stores, restaurants, event halls and companies."

Bida says the two organic streams together go into the digestion tank for 24 days where they make biogas a mixture of methane and other gasesused to make electricity. After the digestion is complete, the organic matter goes into astorage tank and isused as fertilizer in Rouge Park. He says the process is entirely self sufficient.

"The heat we make from burning the gas to make electricity is then used to keep the whole process going."

Bida gives tours of the plant and says educating the public about the process is one of his favourite aspects of the job.

He hopes to add a second digestion tank to the site to expand the project.

"We're extracting value where others see waste;that's what excites me about biogas in general."