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The efficiency of home composting programmes and compost quality.
1Dept. of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering I, University of A Coruña, Galiza, Spain.
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|March 23, 2017
Summary
Home composting programs effectively reduce household organic waste by 77%, yielding high-quality compost rich in nutrients. This sustainable practice is feasible even with meat and fish waste, producing excellent fertilizer for gardens.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management
- Soil Science
Background:
- Home composting programs are increasingly adopted for household waste management.
- Evaluating the efficiency and compost quality is crucial for program success.
- Inclusion of diverse biowaste, including meat and fish, presents unique challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficiency of home composting programs in reducing municipal organic waste.
- To determine the quality of compost produced from household biowaste.
- To evaluate the feasibility of home composting including meat and fish leftovers.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of organic waste reduction in eight rural home composting programs.
- Evaluation of compost quality parameters (C/N ratio, contaminants, heavy metals, nutrients).
- Assessment of composting bin operation by 880 households.
Main Results:
- Achieved an average waste reduction efficiency of 77% (126 kg/person·year).
- Produced compost with favorable C/N ratio (10-15), low contaminants (<0.5% dry matter), and acceptable heavy metal levels.
- Compost exhibited high nutrient content (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) suitable for agricultural use, despite high moisture in some samples.
Conclusions:
- Home composting of household organic waste, including meat and fish, is a viable and effective practice.
- The programs successfully reduced waste and generated high-quality compost for gardening.
- Home composting offers a sustainable solution for waste management and fertilizer production.
