Food Waste Compost Research Articles

Organic Amendments Effects on Nutrient Uptake, Secondary Metabolites, and Antioxidant Properties of Melastoma malabathricum L.

Amelioration of soil acidity can boost soil fertility, hence increasing nutrient uptake, secondary metabolite, and its antioxidant potential. In the present study, the effectiveness of food waste compost and palm kernel biochar was assessed as soil amendments for Melastoma malabathricum L. grown in acidic soil conditions. A six-month greenhouse study was conducted using completely randomized design (CRD) with three treatment groups, including control plants (T1), plants amended with palm kernel biochar (T2), and plants amended with food waste compost (T3). Data analysis revealed that Melastoma malabathricum L. amended with T3 recorded the highest total chlorophyll content (433.678 ± 13.224 µg g−1 DW), followed by T2 and T1. The increase in chlorophyll content was contributed by the increase in soil pH. This was shown by the positive significant correlations between soil pH and chlorophyll a (r2 = 0.96; p ≤ 0.01) and chlorophyll b (r2 = 0.778; p ≤ 0.01). In addition, the same treatment exhibited the highest total anthocyanin content (leaves; 36.1 × 10−2 ± 0.034 mg/g DW and root extract; 8.9 × 10−2 ± 0.020 mg/g DW), total phenolic content (stem extract; 4930.956 ± 16.025 mg GAE/g DE), and total flavonoid content (stem extract; 209.984 ± 0.572 mg QE/g DE). Moreover, this study also found that the highest antioxidant potential against 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals was exhibited by samples supplemented with food waste compost (T3), followed by palm kernel biochar (T2). This indicates that the soil amendments have the capacity to enhance the secondary metabolites that protect plants, therefore ameliorating Melastoma malabathricum L.’s response towards acidic stress, and resulting in better antioxidant properties. Furthermore, this study also recorded better nutrient uptake in T3. With the significantly higher levels of macronutrient in the soil, the food waste compost could enhance the nutrient properties, secondary metabolites, and antioxidant capacity of Melastoma malabathricum L. grown in acidic soil conditions.

Insights into the Changes of Amino Acids, Microbial Community, and Enzymatic Activities Related with the Nutrient Quality of Product During the Composting of Food Waste

Insights into the Changes of Amino Acids, Microbial Community, and Enzymatic Activities Related with the Nutrient Quality of Product During the Composting of Food Waste

Bioaugmentation Mechanism on Humic Acid Formation During Composting of Food Waste

Bioaugmentation Mechanism on Humic Acid Formation During Composting of Food Waste

Optimization of Direct Blue 71 sorption by organic rich-compost following multilevel multifactor experimental design

Removal of a troublesome textile dye, Direct Blue 71 (DB71) from water by a food waste compost was assessed in the current study. Since compost dye sorption is a multi-factor process influenced by mass, pH, concentration, temperature, contact time, and salinity, the cumulative influence of all parameters on DB71 removal was examined following an optimal multilevel multifactor experimental design. The process had to be presented using both linear and interaction terms, according to the variables analysis: Dye sorption = –0.050Mass + 0.122Conc–0.114pH + 0.132Time – 0.074Temp + 0.056Sal + 0.103Mass × Conc + 0.226 Mass × pH – 0.257Mass × Time – 0.112Mass × Temp – 0.041Mass × Sal + 0.008Conc × pH + 0.100Conc × Time + 0.089Conc × Temp + 0.167Conc × Sal – 0.245pH × Time – 0.231pH × Temp – 0.123pH × Sal + 0.358Tim × Temp + 0.355Tim × Sal – 0.045Temp × Sal (R2 = 0.9241) Salinity and pH were positively correlated with concentration, and contact time with temperature and salinity, to get better dye uptake. The optimal conditions for dye removal were the following: solid:liquid ratio 1:375, pH 3.0, initial dye concentration 400 mg L−1, contact time 240 min, salinity 0.6 M NaCl, temperature 50 °C. At the optimum combination of factors, equilibrium sorption isotherm and sorption kinetics were studied. Kinetic analysis indicated high sorption rate 4.0 mg g−1 min−1 while 28% of maximum capacity was reached within the first 10 min of interaction. Sorption isotherm has L2-shape which reflected surface saturation at high solute concentration with low competition with solvent molecules, with a maximum sorption capacity of 95.4 mg g−1. In column experiments performed at bed depth 5.1–12.8 cm, flow rate 1.0–2.0 mL min−1 and influent concentration 10–20 mg L−1, sorption capacity was 19.6 mg g−1, which represents 21% of the maximum capacity at equilibrium conditions. IR analysis of dye-loaded-compost confirmed the contribution of hydrophobic-hydrophobic forces in the sorption process.

The efficiency of effective microorganism (EM) as catalyst in food waste composting using black soldier fly larvae

Composting is sustainable alternative method which can be utilized to recycle organic wastes. In this research, black soldier fly (BSF) larvae and effective microorganisms (EM) were used together to compost organic waste. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of composting food waste using EM together with BSF larvae and to determine whether the growth of BSF larvae is affected by the presence of EM. 5 g of BSF larvae and 300 g of food wastes were put in four different containers with different concentration of EM (0-25%). The larvae were weighed throughout the 13-day experiment, and the changes in food waste volume were recorded to calculate the percentage of frass. Results showed that BSF larvae in the container which has the highest EM concentration (25% EM) produced the highest percentage of compost (89%). Meanwhile, there is a slight difference in the weight of larvae in all samples, where the weight ranges from 5.6 g to 6.5 g. In conclusion, the presence of EM can assist BSF larvae in accelerating the rate of food waste composting.

Regulation of Soil Enzyme Activity and Bacterial Communities by Food Waste Compost During Tobacco Field Cultivation Cycle

Regulation of Soil Enzyme Activity and Bacterial Communities by Food Waste Compost During Tobacco Field Cultivation Cycle

Effects of demineralization on food waste biochar for co-firing: Behaviors of alkali and alkaline earth metals and chlorine.

A significant amount of chlorine, and alkali and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) in food waste has been a major limitation to the utilization of food waste as fuel. The present study aims to investigate the behavior of chlorine and AAEM in food waste biochar during pyrolysis, demineralization, and combustion. Food waste compost (FWC) and food waste feedstock (FWF) were selected as raw materials. Three different pyrolysis temperatures from 300 to 500°C and two demineralization processes, water and CO2-saturated water, were employed. As the pyrolysis temperature increased, crystallized salt was removed through demineralization, which further increased the heating value. Effective removal of chlorine was demonstrated in both demineralization methods. During demineralization, re-adsorption of Ca on food waste biochar occurred, which was alleviated by CO2-water demineralization. The total amounts of volatilized Cl and AAEM after CO2-water demineralization were reduced by 74.79-99.38% for FWF and 98.34-99.9% for FWC compared to raw biochar. Furthermore, slagging and fouling potentials for all food waste biochar samples were estimated using various indices. The proposed behavior of Cl and AAEM in food waste biochar during various fabrication conditions provides insight into how food waste biochar can be applied in thermos-electric power plant for co-firing with coal.

Influence of compost Amendments on the germination and Growth performance of Zea mays L.

Maize is a highly consumed staple food in developing countries and the demand is predicted to double in the coming years. Therefore, there is a need to improve production through the use of compost amendments for sustainability. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three compost amendments (lemon peels, vegetable waste, and cooked food waste) on the germination and growth of maize (Zea mays). The results showed that the application of 17% (116 t/ha) of vegetable waste or lemon peel composts supported maximum maize growth. However, vegetable waste compost had the highest potassium content, which supported maximum root growth and biomass yield. Although the addition of 17% cooked food waste compost resulted in excess nitrogen supply, reducing its application to 7% (50t/ha) supplied the required level for maize germination.

Methane Fermentation Residue Compost Derived from Food Waste to Aid Komatsuna (Brassica rapa) Growth

One suitable solution to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) is to utilize methane fermentation residue obtained from food waste. However, methane fermentation residue compost is often difficult to use due to its inhibitory properties and pungent smell. To evaluate chemical parameters and plant growth, we examined the use of methane-fermented food waste residue compost (FWM), three types of animal manure, namely, horse manure (HM), cow manure (CWM), and chicken manure (CKM). Our results revealed that mixing food waste compost with cow and horse manure reduced the inhibition of Komatsuna germination, however, chicken manure blending limited inhibition reduction. The improvement of GI in the combination of FWM and animal manure was obtained at a ratio 1:4 with an improvement in GI of 20.8%, 16.8%, and 3.8% for combination FWM + HM, FWM + CWM, and FWM + CKM, respectively. The ratio of the combination of FWM + HM could be increased to a ratio of 2:3 with an improvement of 14.7%. Additionally, for Komatsuna growth, FWM with cow and horse manure mixer considerably enhanced plant growth and yield. Furthermore, the combination of FWM + HM and FWM + CWM could improve the ratio of NUE compost/NUE FWM with the values being 12.0 and 11.1, respectively. Therefore, combining FWM with CWM and HM increases the utility value of methane fermentation residues obtained from food waste as compost for maintaining soil fertility, while reducing the use of chemical fertilizer.

Physiological Responses and Root Profiles of Melastoma malabathricum Grown with Food Waste Compost and Lime as Soil Amendments in Acidic Soil Condition

Soil acidification prevents the elongation of roots, which is one of the major constraints to crop productivity. Proper acidic soil amelioration can improve soil fertility, resulting in an increase in plant physiological processes and the survival of the plants. The interaction of physiological responses and root profiles in Melastoma malabathricum as a result of soil amelioration using food waste compost, liming, and a combination of food waste compost and liming when grown in acidic soil conditions was assessed. The resulting plants exhibited an outstanding leaf area index, relative chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency in food waste compost treatment. Similarly, the plants also showed the highest root volume and diameter. The results implied that the application of soil amendment, specifically food waste compost towards acidic soil was able to enhance plant growth through better gas exchange and root morphology. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between root diameter and root volume with the physiological responses, indicating that soil amendments assisted plants in getting the nutrients necessary for gas exchange, hence influencing the plant roots. In conclusion, the use of food waste compost alone was deemed adequate as it showed good effects on plant physiological performances as well as root profiles. Hence, the preliminary results of this study highlight the potential use of food waste compost as a promising solution to support the growth and development of plants, especially those grown under acidic soil conditions.

The Effect of Livestock and Food Waste Compost on Rice Yield and Nutrient Utilization Efficiency according to Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Treatments Rates

The Effect of Livestock and Food Waste Compost on Rice Yield and Nutrient Utilization Efficiency according to Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Treatments Rates

Mixing Sodium-Chloride-Rich Food Waste Compost with Livestock Manure Composts Enhanced the Agronomic Performance of Leaf Lettuce

Food waste generated at the consumer level constitutes a gigantic portion of the total amount of food wasted/lost and valorisation is touted as the most sustainable way of managing the generated waste. While food waste valorisation encompasses several methods, composting is the cheapest technique that can produce stabilised carbon-rich soil amendments. The food waste generated at the consumer level, however, is laden with sodium chloride. The compost produced from such waste has the potential of inducing saline and or sodic conditions in the soil, resultantly impeding proper crop growth and yield. Due to the scarcity of plausible means of eradicating sodium chloride from the food waste before composting, the idea of mixing the composted food waste with other low sodium chloride-containing composts to produce a food waste compost-containing amalgam with a high fertiliser potential was mulled in this study. The study then assessed the effects of mixing sodium-chloride-rich food waste compost with the nutritious and low sodium chloride-containing livestock manure composts on the yield and quality of leaf lettuce. Mixing food waste compost with livestock manure composts in the right proportions created mixed composts that produced a higher lettuce yield than both the pure livestock manure composts and food waste compost. The mixed composts also produced leaf lettuce with higher chlorophyll content and, thus, better marketability and lower nitrate content (with higher health value) than the pure livestock manure composts.

Impact of bamboo sphere amendment on composting performance and microbial community succession in food waste composting

The purpose of this study was to find an economical and effective amendment for improving composting performance and product quality, as well as to analyze the microbial community succession in the whole phase of composting. Therefore, the effect of reusable amendment bamboo sphere on composting performance and microbial community succession during food waste composting was investigated. The results showed that 6% bamboo sphere treatment had the highest degree of polymerization (3.7) and humification index (0.18). Compared with control, 6% bamboo sphere amendment increased total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP) and potassium (TK) contents by 13.61%, 19% and 17.42%, respectively. Furthermore, bamboo sphere enhanced bacterial-fungal diversity and improved microbial community composition by enhancing the relative abundance of thermo-tolerance and lignocellulolytic bacteria and fungi. The five most abundant genera in bamboo sphere composting comprised Bacillus (0–71.47%), Chloroplast-norank (0–47.17%), Pusillimonas (0–33.24%), Acinetobacter (0–27.98%) and unclassified Sphingobacteriaceae (0–22.62%). Linear discriminant analysis effect size showed that Firmicutes, Thermoascaceae and Actinobacteriota, which have a relationship with the decomposition of soluble organic matter and lignocellulose, were significantly enriched in bamboo sphere treatment. Canonical correspondence analysis illustrated that total organic carbon (TOC), TK, and TP were the most important environmental factors on microbial community succession in the two composting systems. Together these results suggest that bamboo sphere as a reusable amendment can shorten maturity period, improve humification degree, increase the contents of nutrient and contribute to the succession of microbial community during food waste composting. These findings provide a theoretical basis for improving the efficiency of food waste composting.

Rapid composting of food waste and yard waste with effective microorganisms (EM)

Rapid composting is an alternative method to reduce highly generated food waste and yard waste discarded to the landfill. This study aims to determine the effect of effective microorganisms (EM) application on the chemical and physical properties and to determine the performance and factors affecting the rapid composting process. The chemical and physical properties such as pH, temperature, moisture content, carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) nutrient are examined over rapid composting period in order to assess the performance of compost and effectiveness of EM in enhancing the degradation process of organic waste. There are three compost prepared which are A, B and C that received different ratio of EM which 1 L, 2 L and 3 L respectively. Based on the result obtained from the 54 days of composting conducted, compost A, B and C show no significance differences on parameters tested. The temperature obtained mostly within the range 35-38 °C, pH values are 5-9, moisture content are 20-60 % and for NPK nutrient, Total Nitrogen content are 1.3 % to 1.4 %, Total Phosphorus are within 0.10 ppm to 0.45 ppm and Potassium are within 0.8 ppm to 6.7 ppm.

Fast composting of food waste using thermal composter

Composting is an effective method to treat food waste. If food waste can be reduced from households, the transportation process to landfills can be reduced, cheaper costs, and the amount of waste in landfills. In this study, an innovative composting device-thermal composter was developed to accelerate the composting of food waste at home. This study uses food waste in a mixture of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis) and rice from a household in Semarang, Indonesia. Food waste was chopped, stirred, heated, and decomposed in a thermal composter. The composting was carried out for three days with moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, volatile solids, C-Organic, N-Total, P-Total, K-Total, plant growth test (Vigna radiata). The results showed that the growth of Vigna radiata using compost on the third day was better than on the first day. Final compost quality has water content = 75.16%, pH = 7.09, electrical conductivity = 552 Scm−1, volatile solid = 76.45 %, C-Organic = 7.05%, N-Total= 0.433 %, P-Total= 0.147 mg P2O5/100 g, K-Total= 0.149 mg K2O/100 g. It indicates that food waste can be recycled into useful products on a household scale within three days.

Effects of compost-derived humic acid on the bio-dechlorination of pentachlorophenol in high iron content paddy soil

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a common residual organic pollutant in paddy soil, and its harmful effects on soil ecosystems have been confirmed. Humic acid (HA) could act as an electron shuttle to promote the reductive dechlorination of PCP under anaerobic conditions. Humic-like substances produced by composting of kitchen waste were able to facilitate the reductive dechlorination of PCP during Fe(III) oxide reduction by iron-reducing bacteria. However, the effects of compost-derived HAs on reductive dechlorination of PCP in a paddy soil system with a high iron content have not been fully confirmed. The characteristics of HAs from different stages of composting during bio-dechlorination of PCP were still unclear. The functional components of compost-derived HAs, which are responsible for reductive dechlorination of PCP in different stages of composting, also need further investigation. In this study, we conducted a series of experiments on the Guangdong paddy soil system with high iron content (17.5 mg kg−1) to investigate the reductive dechlorination of PCP by HA in the early, middle, and later stages of food waste composting. The results showed that the middle- and late-stages of compost-derived HAs all promoted reductive dechlorination of PCP in the paddy system, but it was opposite in the early-stage. Significant differences were also presented in the components of HAs from different stages of composting. The early-stage compost-derived HAs contain numerous easy degradable components, it would inhibit the dechlorination of PCP by the changes of microbial metabolism in paddy soil. Compost-derived HAs in the middle composting stage showed the best reductive dechlorination effects on PCP. The reason might be that the compost-derived HAs in the middle composting stage could act both as electron donors and transfers. The electron transfer capacities (ETC) of middle-stage compost-derived HAs were significantly higher than those in the early and later composting stages. Compared with the natural HAs in the soil system, compost-derived HAs contained more chlorinated products with lower toxicities after the PCP degradation. This result mainly contributed to the detoxification and mineralization of PCP in the soil. These findings clarified the effects of compost-derived HAs on PCP bio-dechlorination in paddy soil with high iron content, identifying the optimal phase of compost-derived HA and providing a theoretical basis for the utilization of kitchen waste composting as a resource of HA.

Application of locally available microbial inoculant to accelerate green waste composting at a community level

The present study investigates application of locally available microbial inoculants to accelerate green waste composting and selection of best inoculant based upon selected physico-chemical and biological parameters for 45 days composting duration. Five inoculants were prepared using cow-dung, cow-urine, jaggery, processed food waste, vegetable waste, and mature compost, each prepared in different ways named as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and C0 (control) and sprayed over 500 kg green waste and fed into aerated in-vessels. The blades of reactors provided adequate aeration to diverse microbial populations in different inoculants to degrade recalcitrant compounds resulting in high thermophilic phase duration (3–8 days), high volatile solid reduction (13–29%), high germination index (85–97%), fecal population < 1000, NPK value in range of N (1.6–2.4%) P (2.8–5.2 mg/kg) and K (6.2–9.3 mg/kg) and low C/N ratio (14.5–20.2). Performance of C1 inoculant (processed food waste) was most effective followed by C5 inoculant (vegetable waste).

The Drivers of Environmentally Sustainable Hospital Foodservices.

Background: Hospital foodservices have the potential to positively contribute to the local food system and planetary healthcare. Understanding the factors contributing to the success of “exemplar hospitals” with environmentally sustainable foodservices gives an opportunity to reimagine foodservices and guide strategic planning. The aim of this study was to identify the drivers of sustainable hospital foodservices.Methods: For this qualitative multiple case study, purposive sampling was used to identify exemplar hospitals internationally. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff with extensive knowledge of their foodservices to explore the drivers of sustainable practices. Relevant documents provided background on the case. These documents and interview data were analyzed using the framework and thematic analysis.Findings: There were 21 participants from 14 hospitals recruited across nine countries. Sustainable foodservice practices included local and organic food procurement, gardens onsite, vegetarian menus, re-serving unopened portion-controlled items, traditional foods, and food waste composting. Four themes were identified: initiating drivers, supporting enablers, challenges, and influence. Initiating drivers that “sparked” sustainable practices included the values of individuals or the hospital (e.g., community, environmental, or religious values), logical solutions to a problem, or government requirements. Enablers that facilitated success included motivated individuals, dedicated personnel, supportive leadership, internal protocols, and perceived benefits. External enablers included being part of member organizations, government requirements, and learning from other hospitals. Exemplar hospitals had broader influence, including educating the hospital community, supporting other hospitals, and influencing government policies/targets. Common challenges were staff resistance and inadequate policy directive.Interpretation: These findings examine the successful international cases of sustainable hospital foodservices to provide a global overview to assist with strategic planning both within hospitals and within governing bodies.

Semiotic Analysis of a Public Service Advertising I compost food waste

Most of the current researches on analyzing public service advertisings (PSA) about food waste into compost is concentrated on the interconnection between environmental, economic, and social aspects. This study has considered the semiotic analysis of the selected PSA through Barthes’ The Five Codes theory. Using the semiotic framework, the paper explains the messages of the PSA “I Compost Food Waste” and describes how this advertising provides insight into design innovation. The findings have shown that the PSA combined with the semiotics is capable of raising people’s awareness about food waste into compost.

Composting of food waste in passive aerated bioreactor with turning mode

Almost 45% of municipal solid waste in Malaysia consist of food waste. Composting is one of the sustainable ways to manage food waste compared to incineration and landfilling. This paper investigates the physicochemical and phytotoxicity characteristics during food waste composting in passive aerated bioreactor assisted with compost turning. The initial compost mixture consists of 124 kg of food waste mixed with 62 kg of dry leaves. The composting process was conducted for 40 days, and physicochemical characteristics i.e., temperature, moisture content, total organic carbon, pH and conductivity were monitored. Seed germination test was conducted with cabbage seeds (Brassica oleracea). The highest temperature and final moisture content obtained were 42 °C and 78%, respectively. The seed germination index value was 127%, indicating that the compost is suitable for plant growth.