PI: Prof. Anurag Garg, Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering

Tata Fellow: Pranav Bhardwaj (2015-17)

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a major challenge in most of the developing nations due to limited funds and poor management practices. On an average, around 50 per cent of the total MSW is biodegradable and can be treated by the composting process even at household or community level. Composting is an aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic fraction producing stabilised product (called as compost) which can be used as a soil conditioner, thus reducing the use of synthetic fertilizer. However, the maintenance of proper operation parameters is needed to eliminate odor problems, reducing biodegradation time and improved product quality.

This study aims to develop a household/community composting system for the management of segregated food waste generated in homes. The main objective is to design a user-friendly composting bin for achieving efficient and odour-free decomposition of the food waste. Moreover, the effect of microbial inoculum addition would also be studied on the waste decomposition rate.