Patent ID: 7931878

Claim:
A system for disinfecting waste, the system comprising: a cutting system that receives waste and comprises cutters sized, shaped, and positioned to cut the waste into waste pieces; a trough that receives waste pieces from the cutting system and that comprises one or more disinfectant inlets; a source of disinfectant that is in fluid communication with the one or more disinfectant inlets to spray onto the waste pieces a liquid disinfectant that kills pathogens on contact; and a circulation system that applies sufficient vacuum through the cutting system and the trough to suck waste therethrough, agitate the waste pieces, and sweep the waste pieces up in a wind that suspends the waste pieces and keeps the waste pieces separate from one another as the waste pieces are being sprayed with the disinfectant, thereby exposing substantially all surfaces of the waste pieces to the disinfectant, coating the waste pieces with disinfectant, and disinfecting the waste pieces.