Effect of size and additives on the decomposition process and nutrient content of urban organic waste compost

Abstract

To participate in overcoming the problem of 500 tons of organic waste per day in Makassar City, in 2017-2019 Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute of Macassar conducted research activities to develop community-based organic waste management models for pollution control and urban farming development. One of the activities is making compost from urban litter using a shredding machine to speed up the decomposition process, and mixing household waste rich in N, P, K and micro nutrients to increase the nutrient content of the compost. Observations showed that the litter mincing process significantly accelerated the decomposition process. Furthermore, the addition of nutrient-rich material from household waste into compost material has increased the nutrient content of compost which is higher than the SNI standard, thereby increasing the competitive value of compost against factory-made chemical fertilizers. These two activities have an impact on increasing public interest in managing urban organic waste to reduce pollution while developing urban farming.