What Does Organic Waste Mean?
Organic waste refers to biodegradable waste that comes from either plants or animals. Due to its biodegradability, this type of waste is easily broken down by other organisms after a while.
Some of the most common examples of organic waste are leftover food, food byproducts such as coffee grounds and eggshells, livestock manure, and even human waste.
As the organic waste breaks down, the process can generate copious amounts of methane. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming and subsequent climate change.
Additionally, there may be chemicals and pathogens present in the organic waste that can enter the soil and groundwater.
As such, organic waste disposal has to be carefully managed. Doing our best to keep these materials from piling up in landfills is a matter of public health and safety.
There are several ways to go about managing organic waste, and composting is one of the most popular.
What is the waste used for after recycling?
Organic waste can be easily composted to form fertilizer. Through this process, the waste is broken down into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Compost is one of the best alternatives to chemical fertilizers. It is a lot cheaper, and there are no health hazards involved.
Compost is also great for the soil. Chemical fertilizers tend to kill microorganisms within the ground, which are essential to the growth of plants. On the other hand, compost improves the soil structure and enriches it with organic matter without harming the microorganisms.
Compost is also a safer alternative when it comes to preserving the environment. It will remain available for the plants for a long time, and there are no chances of it polluting groundwater or rivers.
How is it possible to recycle organic waste?
A few methods can be employed when recycling organic waste, depending on the type of waste.
Animal Feed
This is one of the simplest ways to recycle organic waste. Leftover food and other agricultural waste can be used to feed animals.
Composting
This involves decomposing the organic waste and breaking it down to form fertilizer. Composting can be simple or complex depending on the scale and choice of composting system.
Which machines are used?
Composting systems range from low-cost bins suitable for use at home to highly technical industrial systems.
Large-scale composting involves the use of large reactors that generate tons of compost. An example of a machine used in this process is the rapid thermophilic digester.
Who does recycle?
Organic waste recycling can be done both domestically and industrially. You can use a simple, low-cost bin as a composting system in your kitchen.
Industrial-scale recycling requires the use of more sophisticated machines.
Recycling food waste
If you are tired of reading – here is a short video to learn about how to recycle food waste.