Development of modified compost unit for domestic biodegradable waste

Abstract

As the human population grows, so does the amount of organic solid waste generated in cities. In India, waste generation has surged dramatically during the last decade, reaching 62 million tonnes per year. By 2030, garbage generation is expected to reach 165 million tonnes, necessitating the construction of a landfill the size of Bengaluru. Organic waste, on the other hand, can be diverted from landfills and composted, which is a more sustainable technique. The study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the rotary drum. The objective is to decrease informal refill, separate waste and increment the nature of fertilizer or excrement. This effort aims to turn solid waste to compost in as little as 4–8 weeks. The goal of this study was to see how well a composting barrel with a covering mechanism could reduce the release of foul odours during the composting of common household bio-waste. It is a promising idea to turn the substrates inside the barrel, however, the impact of turning frequency needs to be discussed more. For 30 days, physio-chemical parameters were assessed. Composts made from various organic wastes vary in quality and stability, which is also dependent on the composition of the raw material utilised in the composting process. The stability and maturity of compost are directly proportional to its quality. Finally, pH, temperature, and moisture content were analysed in the compost made with cow dung as a beginning pack. Physio-chemical changes were tracked for 4 to 8 weeks. Moisture content, temperature, odour and pH were all taken into consideration. It was found that temperature remained above 55 °C for a period of two days in the middle of composting duration. The pH drops to 7 in first 5 days, but eventually managed to stay neutral in the end. The moisture content reduced from 60 % to 54 % during the total composting period of 30 days.