Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization

Purpose: The goal of this research was to create a higher-quality compost produced by mixing sawdust with food waste and dry leaves in four different trials in a rotary drum composting unit. Method: A customized PVC composter, designed to prevent corrosion and overheating, including aeration holes...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hrishikesh Shivam, Mulbah Rufus Flomo, Dayanand Sharma, Tushar Bansal, Pooja Jha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: OICC Press 2025-07-01
Series:International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://oiccpress.com/ijrowa/article/view/16980
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850085832200814592
author Hrishikesh Shivam
Mulbah Rufus Flomo
Dayanand Sharma
Tushar Bansal
Pooja Jha
author_facet Hrishikesh Shivam
Mulbah Rufus Flomo
Dayanand Sharma
Tushar Bansal
Pooja Jha
author_sort Hrishikesh Shivam
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: The goal of this research was to create a higher-quality compost produced by mixing sawdust with food waste and dry leaves in four different trials in a rotary drum composting unit. Method: A customized PVC composter, designed to prevent corrosion and overheating, including aeration holes spaced 15 cm apart. 500 kg of waste, sourced from Sharda University and local areas, was mixed for optimal moisture levels and divided into four trials: food waste (FW), FW with leaf powder (FW + LP), FW with sawdust (FW + SD), and food waste with leaf powder and sawdust (FW + LP + SD). Over 45 days, trials underwent rigorous monitoring and comprehensive lab analyses for parameters like moisture, volatile solids, pH, conductivity, and total organic carbon and C/N ratio. Results: The present study shows that composting across all trials, with trial 2 displaying accelerated organic degradation. Temperature profiles surpassed 50°C for T2, T3, and T4 after 15 days. The pH levels ranged from 7.6 to 8.5. Treatment T3 (FW+SD) achieved the highest organic matter reduction at 13.42%. Sawdust (FW+SD) showed superior treatment efficiency, with a finer fraction of 39.37%. Successful composting with food waste showcased the composter's effectiveness, particularly in trial three (FW+SD), which was further validated in a coriander seed pot experiment. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that all the produced composts were classified as stable and fully matured. This study underscores the efficiency of recycling sawdust through the composting process, particularly when integrated with nitrogen-rich food waste, to generate valuable end products. Highlight Customized PVC composter used to restrict corrosion and overheating. Adding a bulking agent is crucial for speeding up the breakdown of food waste Combining sawdust and leaf powder helps to control excessive leachate production. Sawdust is particularly effective in converting food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer. The study's methods are simple enough to be replicated within communities, offering a practical solution to food waste management issues.
format Article
id doaj-art-1251f848b25847ec83b50d4ecccec0e2
institution DOAJ
issn 2195-3228
2251-7715
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher OICC Press
record_format Article
series International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture
spelling doaj-art-1251f848b25847ec83b50d4ecccec0e22025-08-20T02:43:38ZengOICC PressInternational Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture2195-32282251-77152025-07-0110.57647/ijrowa-20250-16980Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilizationHrishikesh ShivamMulbah Rufus FlomoDayanand SharmaTushar BansalPooja JhaPurpose: The goal of this research was to create a higher-quality compost produced by mixing sawdust with food waste and dry leaves in four different trials in a rotary drum composting unit. Method: A customized PVC composter, designed to prevent corrosion and overheating, including aeration holes spaced 15 cm apart. 500 kg of waste, sourced from Sharda University and local areas, was mixed for optimal moisture levels and divided into four trials: food waste (FW), FW with leaf powder (FW + LP), FW with sawdust (FW + SD), and food waste with leaf powder and sawdust (FW + LP + SD). Over 45 days, trials underwent rigorous monitoring and comprehensive lab analyses for parameters like moisture, volatile solids, pH, conductivity, and total organic carbon and C/N ratio. Results: The present study shows that composting across all trials, with trial 2 displaying accelerated organic degradation. Temperature profiles surpassed 50°C for T2, T3, and T4 after 15 days. The pH levels ranged from 7.6 to 8.5. Treatment T3 (FW+SD) achieved the highest organic matter reduction at 13.42%. Sawdust (FW+SD) showed superior treatment efficiency, with a finer fraction of 39.37%. Successful composting with food waste showcased the composter's effectiveness, particularly in trial three (FW+SD), which was further validated in a coriander seed pot experiment. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that all the produced composts were classified as stable and fully matured. This study underscores the efficiency of recycling sawdust through the composting process, particularly when integrated with nitrogen-rich food waste, to generate valuable end products. Highlight Customized PVC composter used to restrict corrosion and overheating. Adding a bulking agent is crucial for speeding up the breakdown of food waste Combining sawdust and leaf powder helps to control excessive leachate production. Sawdust is particularly effective in converting food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer. The study's methods are simple enough to be replicated within communities, offering a practical solution to food waste management issues. https://oiccpress.com/ijrowa/article/view/16980CompostingCircular economySustainable developmentSustainable waste management
spellingShingle Hrishikesh Shivam
Mulbah Rufus Flomo
Dayanand Sharma
Tushar Bansal
Pooja Jha
Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
International Journal of Recycling of Organic Waste in Agriculture
Composting
Circular economy
Sustainable development
Sustainable waste management
title Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
title_full Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
title_fullStr Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
title_full_unstemmed Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
title_short Bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
title_sort bioconversion of food waste into compost using rotary drum composter for agricultural utilization
topic Composting
Circular economy
Sustainable development
Sustainable waste management
url https://oiccpress.com/ijrowa/article/view/16980
work_keys_str_mv AT hrishikeshshivam bioconversionoffoodwasteintocompostusingrotarydrumcomposterforagriculturalutilization
AT mulbahrufusflomo bioconversionoffoodwasteintocompostusingrotarydrumcomposterforagriculturalutilization
AT dayanandsharma bioconversionoffoodwasteintocompostusingrotarydrumcomposterforagriculturalutilization
AT tusharbansal bioconversionoffoodwasteintocompostusingrotarydrumcomposterforagriculturalutilization
AT poojajha bioconversionoffoodwasteintocompostusingrotarydrumcomposterforagriculturalutilization