What PHANTOM Can and Cannot Do
A statement from our process engineering team — because a sophisticated buyer who finds honest technical caveats will trust us more than one who finds overclaims later.
Written by Tanaka — Lead Process Engineer, PHANTOM EcoTech
Every technology has limits. Ours are worth knowing upfront — by both of us. PHANTOM's original technical documentation uses conservative, defensible language: “harmless and sterile residue”, “close to no carbon dioxide produced”, “only harmless residue is produced”. The comparison pages on this site describe compost pathways, carbon advantages, and output revenue potential. Those statements are achievable — but they are conditional achievements for appropriate input streams, not universal guarantees. This page is the reference document that explains the conditions.
01
What PHANTOM Reliably Does
- ✓Sterilises any organic waste stream to >99.9999% (6-log) pathogen reduction — validated to IStAATT Level III for clinical applications
- ✓Reduces organic waste volume by approximately 60% by weight
- ✓Eliminates dioxin formation — physically impossible without combustion
- ✓Produces no fly ash
- ✓Processes wet waste without pre-drying — water is the reaction medium
- ✓Completes a full treatment cycle in 30–50 minutes
- ✓Operates without adding chemicals, acids, or alkalis
- ✓Destroys prion proteins — a key advantage over autoclave sterilisation
02
What Output Classification Depends On
We use “harmless and sterile residue” as our baseline output description because that is what the process reliably delivers regardless of input. The compost, fertiliser, and fuel pathways are achievable upgrades for appropriate input streams — not universal guarantees.
| Input Type | Solid Output Pathway | Liquid Output Pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Clean organic (food waste, manure, fish) | Compost/digestate route — PAS 110 / EA Quality Protocol assessment required | Liquid fertiliser — nutrient analysis required |
| Mixed plastics (no clinical material) | Bio-coal / SRF route — EA Quality Protocol | High COD — trade effluent consent required |
| Clinical / medical waste | Sterile inert residue — licensed disposal pathway | High COD, possibly hazardous — licensed disposal required |
| Mixed (organic + clinical + plastic) | Sterile inert residue — EoW criteria assessment required | Classified as waste until formally assessed |
The machine does not determine the output classification. The input does. We assist every customer through the applicable output classification process as part of the installation package.
03
What the Liquid Effluent Requires
The subcritical hydrolysis process intentionally dissolves organic matter into water-soluble compounds — amino acids, sugars, organic acids. These are exactly what creates high COD and BOD in the process water. This is the process working as designed.
Route 1
Liquid Fertiliser
Best case
Clean organic inputs (food waste, manure, fish). Process water concentrated, pH-adjusted, applied as liquid fertiliser after nutrient analysis. Requires clean input stream and agricultural standards confirmation.
Route 2
Trade Effluent Discharge
Most common
Mixed inputs require trade effluent consent from water authority and likely pre-treatment (pH adjustment, dilution) before sewer discharge. Standard, manageable, not a showstopper — we include this in our liquid management plan.
Route 3
On-site Biological Treatment
Large-volume operations
Large-volume operations can feed process water into a small AD or aerobic treatment system to reduce COD. Adds capital cost but can recover additional biogas value.
We include a liquid effluent management plan with every site assessment — this is a standard operational requirement, not a barrier.
04
What We Cannot Destroy
PHANTOM's construction materials (pharmaceutical-grade SUS 304 stainless steel) do not introduce contaminants to outputs. But a closed thermochemical system cannot destroy heavy metals, PFAS, or persistent organic pollutants — it can only redistribute them between output phases. Mass is conserved.
Heavy Metals
PVC stabilisers (antimony, zinc, calcium) and pigments present in input waste migrate to liquid or solid output phases. For clean organic inputs, concentrations are typically low and consistent with agricultural standards. For industrial, electronic, or mixed municipal inputs — pre-treatment screening and output testing required before any end-use pathway.
PFAS Critical Disclosure
Subcritical water at operating temperatures (200°C) does not destroy PFAS — supercritical water oxidation at 374°C+ is required. PFAS are present in many waste streams PHANTOM targets: clinical PPE, food packaging, fire-fighting foam residues, certain agricultural biosolids. If your input stream has known PFAS risk, both liquid effluent and solid output require PFAS characterisation before any end-use pathway. PFAS liability is one of the fastest-growing areas of environmental enforcement in the UK and EU.
Chloride from PVC
PVC dechlorination in subcritical water transfers chlorine to the liquid phase as inorganic chloride — not as dioxins or organochlorine gases. This is PHANTOM's key advantage over incineration where chlorine forms dioxins. The liquid phase pH must be managed before discharge when PVC-containing inputs are processed. Note: PHANTOM is designed primarily for organic waste streams; PVC processing is a supplementary capability.
We include a comprehensive input stream characterisation protocol and PFAS screening guidance with every installation for relevant waste streams.
05
What the Carbon Footprint Actually Is
PHANTOM produces no direct CO₂ from the waste itself. Our own documentation describes the process as producing “close to no carbon dioxide” — because the hydrolysis reaction does not combust organic carbon into CO₂ the way incineration does.
What we can state with confidence
- ✓Zero direct process CO₂ from waste
- ✓Eliminates 0.9–2.9 tonnes CO₂/tonne that incineration generates
- ✓Eliminates methane from organic waste landfill (GWP 84× CO₂ over 20 years)
- ✓Boiler fuel is the only carbon source
What requires a site-specific LCA
- —Full carbon intensity depends on boiler fuel type (kerosene vs LNG vs biomass vs electric)
- —Electricity grid carbon intensity at the installation site
- —Credit given for avoided landfill/incineration emissions
- —We do not publish a universal carbon intensity figure — one does not exist
For customers with CSRD Scope 3 reporting obligations, net-zero commitments, or ESG audit requirements, we provide a site-specific carbon analysis with every technical proposal — including a comparison against your current waste disposal method. This gives you an auditable, defensible carbon figure, not a marketing claim.
If Any of These Boundaries Affect Your Evaluation
We want to know early. Our pre-installation waste stream assessment is free precisely because getting the right answer upfront is better for both of us than discovering a mismatch after contract. If your waste stream has known PFAS risk, significant contamination, uncertain composition, or unusual regulatory requirements — tell us. We will give you an honest assessment of what PHANTOM can and cannot achieve for your specific situation.