Chapter - Composting of Fruit Wastes - An Efficient and Alternative Option for Solid Waste Management

Abstract

Municipal solid waste generation is exponentially increasing every year. Managing these solid wastes is highly complicated due to the generation of a plethora of waste. Since collecting and disposing of wastes in dumping sites cause severe environmental impacts, an alternative option is the need of the hour. Thus the technique used must be efficient and less in cost for agricultural applications. Composting is one such process where the decomposition and recycling of organic material into a humusrich soil take place naturally known as compost. Fruit waste is rich in moisture content, and thus possesses a unique property as a raw compost agent. The present study focuses on composting of fruit wastes for reducing the amount of solid waste being collected and dumped. If composting of fruit waste is carried out in backyards, then the amount of solid waste entering the dumping sites can be reduced substantially.

Keywords: Composting, Humus-rich soil, Municipal solid waste

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