Abstract
The aims were to reduce composting time, to evaluate the application of produced composts and to size two composting yards (conventional and potentiated). Eight compost heaps with 400 kg of food industry or urban organic waste were built: 1) control; 2) facilitated aeration; 3) potentiated with facilitated aeration and chemical fertilizer; and 4) chemical fertilizer. The analyzed parameters were pH, temperature, humidity and C/N ratio. Compost heap reached stabilization at 90 days without chemical fertilizer and at 25 days when potentiated, regardless of the waste origin. Stabilized composts were applied to lettuce crop under natural conditions and compared with commercial compost. Composts with chemical fertilizer were the most effective in enabling lettuce seedling growth. For medium-sized cities, the conventional composting yard requires 6.58 ha, whereas the potentiated composting yard requires 1.69 ha, considering the recorded stabilization time of 90 and 25 days, respectively. The potentiated composting was the most efficient because its shorter stabilization time, did not require manual turning and produced compost with higher nutrient content. Besides that, requires an area 74.32% smaller than the conventional yard, fact that enables using this process to treat industrial and urban solid organic waste.
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