Influence of Forced Aeration and Season on Food Waste Composting: Organic Compound Degradation and Compost Quality

Food waste composting is essential for improving its sustainable management, providing effective solutions for its recycling, and mitigating the environmental impacts of improper disposal. This study aimed to investigate the need for forced aeration in static piles during the composting of food waste, both in winter and in summer. Samples were collected on days 50, 70, and 90 of composting to analyze the degradation of organic constituents and the quality of the final compost. In the summer, aeration favored the degradation of ether extract (EE) at 50 days (78.2%) and nitrogen (N) at 70 days (86.1%) and promoted the greatest reduction of total solids (TS, 73.9%), carbon (C, 75.1%), N (70.2%), and EE (97.4%) by the end of the composting process. In winter, although aeration promoted degradation at 50 days (TS, N, and EE) and 70 days (N, EE), reductions at 90 days were more pronounced for TS (73.3%) and C (75.9%) in nonaerated windrows or similar for N (70.1%) and EE (96.0%). Composting was more efficient in nutrient release and formation of humic acid during the summer. Thus, we can conclude that food waste composting, with or without aeration, effectively recycles organic waste, promoting degradation and nutrient-rich compost production, with seasonal variations influencing the process.