SOLID ORGANIC

WASTE
COMPOSTING.

By:
Arshi Khan
Avantika Agarwal
Kirtee Singh
Topics
 Solid organic waste
 What is composting?
 What should I compost?
 Home composting
 Methods of home composting
 Helpful home composting method
 Apartment composting
 What not to compost
 Agriculture composting
 Industrial composting
Solid Organic Waste

 Solid organic waste is thought to be reaching critical levels in almost all

regions of the world. These organic wastes require to be managed in a
sustainable way to avoid depletion of natural resources, minimize risk to
human health, reduce environmental burdens and maintain an overall balance
in the ecosystem.
 Recently, the organic fraction of solid waste has been recognized as a
valuable resource that can be converted into useful products via microbially
mediated transformations
 What is Composting?

 Composting is a form of waste disposal where organic waste decomposes

naturally under oxygen-rich conditions. Although all waste will eventually
decompose, only certain waste items are considered compostable and should
be added to compost containers. Food waste, such as banana peels, coffee
grinds and eggshells, are great items to compost.

 In addition to food waste, yard waste, such as grass clippings and leaves, can
also be added to compost containers. These items will help increase
decomposition and help reduce odor as materials break down. As with
household food waste, there are also some types of yard waste that should be
avoided. Perennial weeds, which are plants that come back year after year,
should not be added to compost because they will grow back and spread.
► By composting these items, it makes it possible to
reduce the overall amount of waste being sent to
landfills and mass-burn incinerators.

► In addition to reducing waste, the process of composting

also creates a usable product. The final compost, humus, is
nutrient-rich and can be used to amend poor soils and
fertilize gardens instead of using chemical fertilizers.
 Why Should I Compost?

► Compost consists of a high concentration of minerals and nutrients to fertilize plants and trees.

► It retains moisture better than most soils and thus helps to maintain healthy plant life and decrease evaporation.

► It helps us to never waste a single penny of our grocery budget by tossing food scraps.

► Compost can be used indoors in houseplants or anywhere outdoors.

► When planting new plants it can be mixed into the soil as a fertilizer, added to potting soil for container gardening
or used as a mulch atop the soil and around the plant.

► In our modern society, we unwittingly erode our soil and diminish its ability to retain water or support life. Home
composting helps reduce this soil erosion and prevent water runoff, especially in heavily compacted areas of dirt.
Home Composting

► Home composting is the stuff great gardens are made of and you'd be hard-
pressed to grow an organic garden without it. This is where we get into our
bonafide Dirt Worshipper doctrine.

► Compost is decomposed (broken down) matter consisting of organic materials,

such as food scraps or yard debris. Organic matter in the right conditions will
decay through the activity of aerobic bacteria and micro-organisms, which
break down the ingredients into a usable form. By creating a home composting
pile, you are creating exactly what nature creates when matter decomposes - a
natural fertilizer, a soil builder and a cycle of life not sustained in a landfill.
Methods Of Home Composting.

Hot /Active composting:

This requires a bit more attention. You can create hot compost in a pile, bin or
container. You must have a balance of "greens" (nitrogen) and "browns" (carbons) to
create a pile that will heat properly. The heat generated will rise the inner
temperature of the pile to over 130 degrees. I think of "green" as things that are still
moist or "alive" such as fruit and vegetable waste or fresh grass clippings. "Browns" are
things such as sawdust, dried leaves or shredded paper. A hot pile works rather quickly
to break down material but it will need to be kept moist (not soggy) and turned at
least once a week or whenever the inside temperature cools down.
The drawback to a hot compost pile is a lower nitrogen level. The pile heats up by
eating through your nitrogen and the more you turn it, the more it will heat up.
However, if you need organic fertilizer fast, this is the way to do it.
►Cold /Passive Composting:

This is usually what my home composting pile ends up becoming. The decay is
slower but the effort is minimal. Simply find a spot (preferably an open space in the
yard, rather than a container), pile up the compostable materials and let nature do
its thing. You can turn this pile once to get the temperature rising and kill off any
bad bacteria or sterilize seeds, but after that it's best to let it be. Because you're
not keeping the pile moving, you are maintaining higher levels of nitrogen.

The drawback to this kind of home composting is a much slower breakdown of

matter. Also, you will see more insects as they help to decompose the pile.
► Vermi-composting:

This is generally done in a container and uses worms to digest and produce worm
castings (poop) of the scraps. Worms can be purchased through a plant nursery or bait
and tackle shop or, worse case scenario, online. Using regular garden worms will not
generally work as well as red wrigglers. Vermicomposting can also create a compost tea
(water runoff from the bin) that can be used as an additional fertilizer. Worm compost is
among the most beneficial of all and makes for a fun project for critter-loving kids.

The drawback of vermicomposting is in maintaining the worm bin, ensuring proper

moisture and temperature, as well as the right levels of food. You also have to be more
careful about what you add to the bin.
► Easy Home Composting:

Sometimes called the "Lazy Man's Compost" this is among the simplest to do and only involves
burying waste underground. Many people bury it under new plants, or they create an in-
ground waste collector (also known as, a giant hole) and covering it with soil as they add
waste, then moving to a new spot when it's full. This method encourages earthworms and
can occasionally surprise you with new fruit or vegetable plants grown from buried seeds!

The drawback to burying your compost is not having any when you need to amend soil, mulch
or fertilize a plant organically.
 Helpful Home Composting Items.
 Composting Worms: Red Wigglers are the most popular worms to use for composting kitchen
scraps. They can eat up to their body weight in food each day (so 1 lb of worms will compost 1 lb
of food scraps each day) and they quickly multiply.
 Stainless Steel Kitchen Pail: Probably the most popular way to collect kitchen scraps and keep
any odors trapped within the charcoal filter or liner until you can transfer them to your compost
bin or pile, and it's one of the few that aren't plastic if you're trying to decrease your exposure to
plastic in your home.
 Worm Composting System: These tray systems are great for indoor or outdoor use. They help
you to "harvest" your worm castings without having to sift through the worms, and also gives you
a way to remove the compost tea easily.
 Compost Activator for Hot Composting: This mix of fungi, bacteria, and nutrients helps to
kickstart your compost pile, especially good if you're working with soil or an environment that
has been treated with chemicals and have created an imbalance in your ecosystem.
 Compost Tumbler: If you don't have the ability to leave your compost open, or you need an easy
way to turn your compost pile without strain, using a tumbler is a great option. It also decreases
the amount of time it takes to breakdown food and yard debris by turning it more often, easily.
 What Not To Compost.
 Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
- Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
 Coal or charcoal ash
- Might contain substances harmful to plants
 Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs*
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
 Diseased or insect-ridden plants
- Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
 Fats, grease, lard, or oils*
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
► Meat or fish bones and scraps*
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
 Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)*
- Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens,
and viruses harmful to humans
 Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
- Might kill beneficial composting organisms
 Agriculture Composting Methods.
 Indore method
Organic wastes are spread in the cattle shed to serve as bedding. Urine soaked material along with dung is removed
every day and formed into a layer of about 15 cm thick at suitable sites. Urine soaked earth, scraped from cattle sheds is
mixed with water and sprinkled over the layer of wastes twice or thrice a day. Layering process continued for about a
fortnight. A thin layer of well decomposed compost is sprinkled over top and the heap given a turning and reformed. Old
compost acts as inoculum for decomposing the material. The heap is left undisturbed for about a month. Then it is
thoroughly moistened and given a turning. The compost is ready for application in another month.
 Bangalore method
Dry waste material of 25 cm thick is spread in a pit and a thick suspension of cow dung in water is sprinkled over for
moistening. A thin layer of dry waste is laid over the moistened layer. The pit is filled alternately with dry layers of material
and cow dung suspension till it rises 0.5 m above ground level. It is left exposed without covering for 15 days. It is given a
turning, plastered with wet mud and left undisturbed for about 5 months or till required.
 Coimbatore method
Composting is done in pits of different sizes depending on the waste material available. A layer of waste materials
is first laid in the pit. It is moistened with a suspension of 5-10 kg cow dung in 2.5 to 5.0 I of water and 0.5 to 1.0 kg fine
bone meal sprinkled over it uniformly. Similar layers are laid one over the other till the material rises 0.75 m above the
ground level. It is finally plastered with wet mud and left undisturbed for 8 to 10 weeks. Plaster is then removed, material
moistened with water, given a turning and made into a rectangular heap under a shade. It is left undisturbed till its use.
In Coimbatore method, there is anaerobic decomposition to start with, following by aerobic fermentation. It is the
reverse in Bangalore method. The Bangalore compost is not so thoroughly decomposed as the Indore compost or even as
much as the Coimbatore compost, but it is bulkiest.
Industrial Composting.
 Commercial or industrial composting is large-scale composting which is designed to handle
a very high volume of organic waste, as opposed to private or home composting, which
handles organic waste from one household or facility. The compost produced by a
commercial composting facility can be sold to farms and nurseries, applied to municipal
landscaping, or sold to individuals, depending on how the facility is organized. With a
growing interest in composting, recycling, and reducing the environmental impact of doing
business in the early 21st century, commercial composting operations expanded radically.

 A typical commercial composting operation collects waste from restaurants, grocery

stores, and other commercial facilities which handle food. It may also collect yard waste
from nurseries and landscaping companies. Some commercial composters handle
greenwaste bins from individual citizens, as well, with people putting yard and food waste
into a separate container and setting that container out for regular collection along with
garbage and recycling. Some commercial composting facilities work side by side with
municipal garbage and recycling agencies to make it easy for people to take advantage of
the services of the composter, while others are privatized.
Industrial Techniques.
 Passive composting or piling- is simply stacking the materials and letting them decompose naturally.
This method is simple and low cost but is very slow and may result in objectionable odors.
 In Aerated static piles air is introduced to the stacked pile via perforated pipes and blowers. This
method requires no labor to turn compost but is weather sensitive, and can have unreliable pathogen
reduction due to imperfect mixing.
 Windrows are long, narrow piles that are turned when required based on temperature and oxygen
requirements. This method produces a uniform product and can be remotely located. However,
turning the compost can be labor intensive or require expensive equipment. Windrows are typically
used for large volumes which can require a lot of space. In addition, windrows can have odor
problems, and have leachate concerns if exposed to rainfall.
 Bins using wire mesh or wooden frames allow good air circulation, are inexpensive, and require little
labor. Three chamber bins allow for faster compost production utilizing varying stages of
decomposition. Bin composting is typically used for small amounts of food waste.This three-bin system
can handle significant quantities of materials. It also allows staged composting, by using one section
for storing compostable materials, one section for active composting, and one section for curing or
finished compost. Note: You can use discarded wooden pallets instead of new wood to make a three-
bin system.
Passive composting or piling Aerated static piles Windrows

Bins

Industrial Techniques
References:

 www.epa.gov/recycle/composting
 www.sustainablebabysteps.com
 www.thespruce.com
 www.advancedcomposting.com
 www.urthpact.com