Patent ID: 7363866

Claim:
An apparatus for processing waste comprising: a control system for controlling the feeding of waste to said waste processing apparatus, a waste processing chamber adapted for accommodating a column of waste, said apparatus further comprising an air lock system for selectively enabling waste to be fed from an external feeder to a holding chamber comprised in said air lock system, and from said holding chamber to said processing chamber, said control system comprising: control means operatively connected to said air lock system; at least one first detector operatively connected to said control means and adapted for detecting at least an absence of waste at a first level in said processing chamber and for providing a corresponding first signal to said control means when waste is not detected at said first level; wherein said control means is adapted at least to command said air lock system to feed waste from said holding chamber to said processing chamber in response to receiving said first signal; characterized in that said first level is such that the volume of said processing chamber between said air lock system and said first level is not less than the volume of waste that may be accommodated in said holding chamber.