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Different types of Composting

Composting is the natural process by which organic material is broken down in order to be consumed by plants. It is a great way to add nutritional value back to soil and is better for plants instead of traditional fertilizers. Farms, houses, restaurants, schools, offices and places of business all produce compostable material every day of the week. Materials like food scraps, grass shavings, dead leaves, coffee grounds etc. can all be composted.

Primarily, there are three kinds of composting: aerobic, anaerobic and vermicomposting. Each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

  Aerobic composting

In aerobic composting, air is introduced into the mix to help break down the compostable material faster. In this process, the compost pile will need to be turned every two or three days. People who opt for this type of composting usually use a ‘tumble style’ composter to make their work easier. Green matter like grass clippings are rich in nitrogen and can also be added to speed up the process.

As the bacteria breaks down the materials rich in nitrogen, the temperature of the compost pile will get higher. Also, moisture may need to be added from a hose or a watering can. It is important to turn and moisturise the compost pile regularly or else the compost may give off a bad smell.

In case the compost pile is slowly shrinking, the aerobicizers can be energized by providing the pile with more oxygen. Simply turn the pile once every day for a week or more. In case the pile is in a tumbler, give it a spin.

 Anaerobic composting

Compared to aerobic, anaerobic composting takes little to no effort to do. Simply toss scraps into a compost pile or composter and leave it alone for a year or longer. Here, the majority of the chemical energy contained in the organic material is released by bacteria in the form of methane.

This process is characterized by very strong smells. Because there is only a small amount of heat generated, it takes very long for the compost pile to become hot enough to kill plant pathogens, weeds and seeds. External heat is normally added to help overcome these limitations.

 Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting uses worms, moisture and oxygen to safely break down organic material with only a few odours. Here, the worms and the bacteria work together to help breakdown the organic waste. Red worms are particularly useful for this type of composting. Compared to aerobic and anaerobic, vermicomposting is more preferable.

Composting worms love eating non-acidic vegetables and fruit scraps left over from the kitchen or garden. They also enjoy eating grains like rice, bread, oats and pasta. Just remember not to include any oily food, meat or dairy products for vermicomposting.

Manure from cows, horses and rabbits that’s been aged a few days can also help the composting process. Additionally, eggshells can be used to balance the bin’s PH levels. Fallen leaves and grass clippings in small quantities also help speed the process along.

Biochest uses the aerobic composting process to provide nutrient-rich compost for plants, without any of the odours that normally come from this method. What’s more is that any kind of organic material can be added and the result will be the same.

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Turn household waste into compost

Here’s an interesting fact for you: by segregating, recycling and composting, a typical family of 4 can reduce their waste from 1000 kg to 100 kg per year. Considering how much waste is being generated by the average household, composting can go a long way to reduce the waste generated and dumped into the environment.

Check out these simple steps to turning your garbage into a garden

Step 1- composting itself can be done at different places in the house. These places range from the kitchen, terrace, balcony, sink or tabletop. While it is advisable to start composting outdoors, there are many people who have compost piles inside their homes.

Step 2- now time to segregate the waste. For composting, kitchen wastes like vegetable peels, fruit peels or even small amounts of wasted food are great ingredients to turn into compost. These wastes should be separated from the others and put into one container. Then, have another container made solely for dry wastes such as dead leaves, saw dust, newspapers, cardboard boxes and bio degradable packaging material. Once these two heaps are in their respective containers, close them to keep bugs, worms or flies from coming in and ruining all your hard work.

Step 3- now time to build a composting bin. The composting bin can be anything from a clay pot to a dustbin or a bucket. Drill five holes around the container at different levels, allowing the air to come in easily. To avoid spilling, place a newspaper or a tray under the container. Once that’s done, layer the bottom of the container with soil.

Step 4- add dry waste and food waste at alternate levels in the bin to help maintain the dry waste and wet waste balance. For example, if you put one mug of food waste, add one mug of dry waste as well. It is also important to add soil once every week. To help speed up the process, semi composted soil can be added to the compost pile.

Ste 5- if the compost smells, then make a few extra holes or add more newspaper clippings. If the compost turns dry, then it is best to sprinkle a little water on top. After a few days of composting, use a rake to give the pile a quick turn. This process helps to aerate the waste and decompose successfully. After a period of two or three months have passed, the compost can be used in garden areas or potted plants.

The composting process can be much easier to do with the aid of Biochest Elegant. Elegant is a home composter that can be adjusted to fit the needs of any family. This home composter can take in all kinds of organic waste and convert it into nutritious compost all without the need of any heating element. What’s more is that the compost produced by Elegant is odourless, preventing any pests or insects from congregating on it. All in all the Biochest Elegant makes composting an easy and fun task for the whole family.

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In 2016, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (also known as MoEF & CC) put forward a set of new Solid Waste Management Rules. These rules were meant to replace the Municipal Solid Wastes Rules in 2000, which has been in existence for the past 16 years. The new rules are the sixth category of waste management rules brought out by the ministry.

These rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban agglomerations, special economic zones, places of pilgrimage, notified industrial townships, places of religious and historical importance etc, under their purview.

Key takeaways from the new 2016 SWM rules

Separation at the source: the new rules mandate segregation of waste at the source to channelize waste to wealth. Now the waste would need to be segregated into three streams- Biodegradables, Dry wastes and Domestic Hazardous wastes before it is handed over to the collector.

In the case of an event or a gathering of more than 100 people at a location, the organizer has to ensure segregation of waste at the source and handing over this waste to the collector or agency, as stated by the local authority.

Hotels and restaurants also need to segregate these wastes and set up a collection system to ensure that food waste is being used for composting. Another part of the rule states that all resident welfare, market associations and gated communities, occupying an area of more the 5000 square miles will also have to separate waste at the source and hand over recyclable material either to the appointed waste-pickers or to the urban local body.

User fees for collection: now, local bodies across India can decide user fees because of the new rules. Municipal authorities will levy fees for collection, disposal and processing from bulk generators. The new rules dictate the generator of wastes will have to pay a User Fee to the waste collector as well as a Spot Fine, in the case of non-segregation and littering. The amount will be decided by the local bodies.

Also, the new rules aim to integrate waste pickers, rag pickers and kabadiwalas from the informal sector to the formal sector by the state government. These rules stipulate a ‘no tolerance’ policy for throwing, burning or burying solid waste generated on streets or open public spaces.

Promote composting: the Department of Fertilizers and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers need to provide assistance on city compost and ensure the promotion of co-marketing of compost in the ratio of 3-4 bags is to 6-7 bags by the fertilizer companies, to the extent of which compost is made available for marketing to the companies. Also, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide some flexibility in Fertilizer Control Oder to manufacture and sell compost, propagating use of compost of farm land and set up labs to test the quality of compost that is made by local authorities or authorised agencies.

Promoting waste to energy: The SWM Rules of 2016 also emphasise the promotion of waste to energy plants. The rules mandate that all industrial units who use fuel and are located within a 100-kilometre radius from a solid waste-based Refuse-Derived Fuel plant to replace at least 5% of their fuel with RDF.

The rules also state that non-recyclable waste which has a calorific value of 1500 kilocalories or more should be used to generate energy either through RDF or by giving away as feed stock to prepare refuse derived fuel. Solid wastes with high calorific values can also be used for co-processing in thermal power plants or cement.

Waste processing and treatment: it has been advised that bio-degradable waste needs to be processed, treated and disposed either through composting or through bio-methanation and the residual waste should be given to waste collectors or agencies appointed by the local authority.

Waste processing facilities would need to be set up by local bodies that have a population of 1 million residents or more within the span of two years. For towns with a population below one million, stand-alone sanitary landfills need to be set up in a period of three years.

The rules need to focus on making solid waste management a people’s movement by taking the issues, concerns and management of solid waste to the citizens. Organizing massive awareness campaigns in association with communities, NGO’s, students and stakeholders can be used to better implement these rules. In the end though, it will be a challenging process to see how segregation at the source will work, but if it does well, then in 4-5 years a drastic change will be seen in how the waste management systems works in India.

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The lockdowns enforced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended side effect- creating a global experiment in reducing the pollution in some of the world’s busiest cities. From New Delhi to Milan, the air has become cleaner as many of the city’s inhabitants stay at home and travel rates have significantly reduced.

Scientists suggest that these emergency lockdowns can be used as an emergency measure to combat air pollution episodes like what was seen in Delhi-NCR region during the winter months. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 3 million people die every year due to illnesses caused by air pollution. The WHO further states that more than 80% of people living in urban areas are exposed to air quality levels that far exceed the required safety limits. This is much worse in low-income countries where 98% of the cities do not meet the air quality standards put forward by the WHO.

Effect on air quality

Satellite images show that during late January and early February of 2020, levels of NO2 over cities and industrial areas in Asia and Europe had decreased by as much as 40%. Two weeks following the nationwide lockdown in the United Kingdom, NO2 pollution in some cities fell by as much as 60%. NASA revealed that NO2 pollution over New York and other major metropolitan areas in the North-Eastern USA region had reduced by 30% in March 2020.

In one way, the world is conducting the largest ever global air pollution experiment. Because of the pandemic, cities are turning off major air pollutant sources in industry and transport. This has caused many officials to consider how to use the pandemic as a chance to rethink their attitude to pollution and the environment.

Water Quality

Since there were no fishing or pleasure boats sailing the waterways, the water has cleared up. In areas like Venice, the water became so clear that fish could be seen swimming and there was a better water flow. No doubt, because of the decrease in human activity, even the oceans are recovering and marine life is thriving.

Effect on wildlife

With regards to the fish, the lockdown has seen a decline in fishing, which means the fish biomass will increase after over-fishing nearly depleted it. Aside from that, animals have been spotted roaming about freely in areas where they would not dare to go earlier on. Even sea turtles have been spotted returning to areas where they once avoided in order to lay their eggs. This all came about thanks to the lack of human presence.

Improvement in vegetation

The resultant clean air and water has helped plants grow better. The lack of human interference also helped as well. With much of the human world at a standstill, plants are now allowed to thrive and grown, producing more oxygen in the process. The lack of litter also means river systems are not clogged up like before, making it another good thing for the environment.

While the lockdown has proved to be beneficial to the environment, there is the ever present fear that once things to back to normal and people start travelling again, the positive impact will disappear as a result. This is why products like Elegant and Biochest are becoming increasingly important in today’s world. These composters are capable of converting all kinds of organic waste into valuable, nutrient rich compost/fertilizer, making it ideal for the environment. Biochest will significantly reduce the carbon footprint generated by houses and industries, making the world a greener place.

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Environment day is a once in a year chance for us to think about our environment and the impact we have on it. Take Chennai for example: according to the solid waste management of the Chennai Corporation, the city generates a whopping 5,400 megatons of waste per day, with residences accounting for 68% of that waste. 

A single house in Chennai with the average 4-member family generates at least 1 kg of bio-degradable waste per day. In a month, that number rises to 30 kgs and in a year it goes to 360 kgs. This waste split between Chennai’s two dumping yards, Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. With the amount of trash being piled into these yards per day, it won’t be long before trash heaps are as tall as five storey buildings. Many officials are also concerned that as more waste is being dumped into these landfills, it increases the chances of groundwater contamination.   

Considering the amount of daily wastage, a single house produces, it becomes all the more important to start composting. The process of composting can be made easier with the help of Biochest’s composting system. This can go a long way to not only process the waste produced by each house, it will also decrease the amount of garbage generated every day. 

Let’s look at the amount of bio-degradable waste produced by a typical apartment complex consisting of 500 houses. Per day, on an average  the apartment complex generates 500 kgs of waste. With the help of Biochest, that waste can be turned into valuable compost. This compost can then be used for terrace gardens and landscape, thus making the surrounding area green and fresh. 

By composting the waste on  daily basis,  the apartment complex can generate a total of 54000 kgs of compost per annum. To put that into perspective, if that compost was used in rice fields, it would create 54000 kgs of rice. 

This amount of compost can provide valuable food for 54000 mango trees or could produce a whopping 27,00,000 kgs of sugarcane. 

This is why it becomes all the more important to start composting bio-degradable waste. Composting is one hobby that has all the benefits and none of the drawbacks. So this environment day, let’s all take a step forward to making the Earth a better place. 

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5 Reasons To Compost | Biochest Organic Waste Composter

Composting is slowly becoming the popular solution used by both businesses and families to help the environment and decrease the amount of wastes being dumped into landfills. Composting may sound like a confusing process and can often put off people at the start. Rumours such as compost attracting bugs and mice have kept many people from taking up the hobby, but those rumours are completely unfounded. Here are a few great reasons to get into composting

It’s an inexpensive hobby

As the title says, it costs next to nothing to start composting. You may have to spend a little on a compost pail or a bin, but that’s all you’d need to spend money on. In case you’re a gardener or practice landscaping at home, having a compost pile can reduce money spent on fertilizer or yard waste removal. Composting also reduces the amount of garbage piled up every day, which is always a good thing.

Good for the planet

Landfills across the world are running out of room. Many densely populated countries often outsource their trash to other countries, where they are disposed of. If every family started composting, that becomes beneficial to both the country and the planet.

An odourless and pest-free process

Initially, it was thought that composting will attract pests and creates a horrible smell. That could be further from the truth. Only when compost is done wrong does it smell or attract vermin and pests. To do it correctly, keep away any dairy products and meats out of the compost pile. That’s all anyone needs to remember when composting.

Better air quality

Instead of burning yard waste, many families are turning to compost as an air-friendly alternative. Burning certain items in trash cans may release deadly chemicals into the air can increase the risk of allergies and cause asthma. Composting isn’t just good for the soil, it’s good for the air.

Less Erosion

Adding compost to soil prevents it from eroding. This is important considering how much of earth’s soil has already been depleted of nutrients. Because of soil erosion, water sources can get affected and soil with pesticides gets deposited into lakes, streams and ponds. Compost increases the soils ability to harbour root systems that prevents any runoff and the overall ability of the soil to hold in water. In fact, a five percent increase in organic material or compost can increase the soil’s water absorption capacity by four times.

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Biochest converts the waste into compost, effectively managing odour from putrescible waste and keeps away any insects. Book now and you too can make useful organic manure for your garden.

For more, visit http://www.vnsenviro.com or call +91 97909 71908

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Composting as a Solid Waste management solution | Biochest organic waste converter

A major problem in modern society is dealing with is waste management. To put it quite simply, what do we do with the waste we create? There is a growing concern being placed on the three major R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Composting at present, provides us with a way to accomplish all three R’s. Through composting, the total amount of garbage that is sent to landfills are reduced, the organic matter is reused, instead of being dumped and it is recycled into useful nutrients for the soil.

Learning from nature

Natural ecosystems have shown us a tried and true method to break down organic materials into useful end-products. Through the use of decomposers found within the food chain, nature’s organic waste is broken down into humus, which is the most important component of soil.

A renewed interest

Composting is a method that harnesses the natural process of decomposition in order to speed up the decay of waste. Composting itself dates back to the start of agriculture, many years ago. Today however, many find composting an art as much as it is a science. At present, concerns about managing wastes and producing food in an environmentally sound manner has led to a renewed interest in developing large-scale municipal and commercial composting systems.

Start early

In order to design successful composting systems, there is a need to understand certain biological, chemical and physical processes like the movement of air, uptake of carbon and nitrogen and the process of heat production and transfer. School goers can be a part of the process of gathering scientific information about composting, whether their results are applied in their own home, school or by industry. At the same time, students should be encouraged to engage in hands-on composting activities. These opportunities provide them with a deeper understanding of the many scientific processes and disciplines involved in the composting process.

The study of waste production and managements leads to interdisciplinary study and school composting provides an opportunity for real-world problem solving, with cooperative learning groups. It can also motivate students to engage in traditional ‘science’ experiences. Students also gain an awareness of a person’s role in the world today, as they learn how waste is produced and how waste can also be reduced. Finally, through the creation of compost systems, students are given a way to decrease their environmental impact, which is always a good thing in the long run.

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BIOCHEST Organic waste Composting machine is an onsite in-vessel composter, converting your waste into compost, effectively managing odour from putrescible waste and keeps away any insects.

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What is solid or organic waste?

You will be surprised to know that one third of the food produced for consumption across the globe goes uneaten. Shocking isn’t it? Especially when millions of households worldwide go to bed hungry. This level of waste brings with it both high financial, social, as well as environmental repercussions.

Waste can be classified into five types which are commonly found. These include liquid waste, solid rubbish, organic waste, recyclable rubbish and hazardous waste. Organic waste is any material that is biodegradable and originates from either a plant or an animal. Biodegradable waste is any material that can be broken into carbon dioxide, methane or simple organic molecules.

Residences and homes are some of the major sources of solid waste which may include both organic as well as solid rubbish. Organic waste discarded by homes include food waste, paper, leather, cardboard, yard wastes and ashes, and solid rubbish like bulky household items like electronics, tires, batteries, old mattresses and used oil.

Discarded waste originating from homes and residences is mostly organic and mostly recyclable. Organic waste should not be regarded as a source of environmental pollution that has to be gotten rid of by putting it in landfills or burned in incinerators, as this could cause other pollution problems. It should be seen as a valuable resource that can be transformed into something valuable.

Organic waste makes up as much as 70% of the total waste discarded. This high figure of 70% is contributed partly by restaurants, kitchens both domestic and industrial, bio sludge and waste from the food processing industry. The other sector that contributes to this is the farming industry which produces crop and garden waste, sawdust and fruit waste, chicken and other animal manure, and waste from abattoirs.

Management of organic waste is a major dilemma for developing countries. It generates unpleasant odors and helps rats, flies, bugs and mosquitoes multiply and spread diseases.  As it decomposes, organic waste generates methane, a gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Continuing to ignore solid and organic waste management could lead to a risk of irreversible environmental deterioration. If we do not take action today, not only the present generation, even the future generations would be at risk. And our children would lay the blame entirely at our feet.

Selected organic waste can either be reduced or transformed into organically beneficial products through the application of new and innovative approaches and technology, ranging from the simple to the complex, for the reuse of these resources for energy, organic fertilizers, and animal feed. This will ultimately create new methods for improving the quality of life of the people. In addition, such an approach is in line with the principles of sustainable development. Efficient utilization of resources is closely linked with both environmental goals as well as poverty alleviation.

We should not underestimate the value that is in our trash.  With fast growth in quantity of waste generated, and the soaring constraints in available resources, we have to become creative in how we transform our trash into a valuable resource.  Organic waste which generally makes most of the trash that we discard, can be managed in a smarter way, like waste composting both for homes and industries.