Treatment Options for Municipal Solid Waste by Composting and Its Challenges

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Waste Management

Background:

• Municipal solid waste (MSW) contains a significant biodegradable fraction (50-55%), crucial for sustainability and a circular economy.
• Composting is a key method for recycling organic waste, but its large-scale application is limited by challenges.
• Current composting practices face issues such as low utilization rates (10-12%), long process durations, odor and greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen loss, and poor compost quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the challenges associated with composting municipal solid waste.
• To explore and discuss potential solutions for improving composting efficiency and quality.
• To highlight the role of advanced techniques like metagenomics in optimizing the composting process.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on composting challenges and solutions.
• Exploration of strategies including microbial inoculums, additives, and physicochemical parameter optimization.
• Emphasis on the application of metagenomics for understanding microbial communities and biochemical pathways.

Main Results:

• Identified key challenges hindering effective composting of MSW.
• Discussed various strategies to mitigate issues like long processing times, emissions, and low compost quality.
• Highlighted the potential of metagenomics and genome mining for microbial community analysis and process improvement.

Conclusions:

• Addressing composting challenges is vital for increasing the recycling of the biodegradable fraction of MSW.
• Optimizing process parameters, using microbial aids, and employing advanced analytical tools can significantly enhance composting efficiency.
• Understanding microbial ecology through metagenomics offers a pathway to improve waste treatment and achieve a circular economy.