Post on 15-Jan-2017
PROCESSING OF GREEN WASTE FOR PRODUCTION OF COMPOST
Siti Nurbaidzuri Binti Reli @ Raily
TD 796.5 S623 2013 Master of Environmental Science
(Land Use and Water Resource Management) 2013
Pusat Khidmat MakJumat Akademik UNIVERSm MALIl.'I'SJA SARAWAK
P.KHIOMAT MAKLUMAT AKAOEMIK
111111111 Ili'ijjj 111111111 1000246934
PROCESSING OF GREEN WASTE FOR PRODUCTION OF COMPOST
SITI NURBAIDZURI BT RELI (11031869)
This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of
Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management)
Faculty of Resource Science and Technology
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
2013
-Student's Certification
I hereby certified that the present work is my own except for the paraphrases, quotations,
elaboration and summaries with each source quoted.
I also accord th~ copyright of the quotation to the Faculty of Resource Science of
Technology for publication if deemed fit.
Submission date Sitiit-uri bt Reli @ Raily
Supervisor's Endorsement
This graduation exercise entitled PROCESSING OF GREEN WASTE FOR
PRODUCTION OF COMPOST was prepared and submitted by SITI NURBAIDZURI
BINTI RELI @ RAlLY as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master of
Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management).
Prof. Dr. K pli bin Bujang Supervisor, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology University Malaysia Sarawak
ACKNOWLEDGEMENf
I thank Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful for giving me strength,
patience and blessing to deal with my studies in completing my master project for the SLUSE
programme. For those without whom, there never would have been this written material. I
would like to express my appreciation to my parent whose help was invaluable in giving me
inspiration, love and motivation to succeed . Special thanks and appreciation to my project
supervisor Prof. Dr. Kopli bin Bujang for his sound and critical comments, opinions and
countless hours spent in helping and guiding with this project. My gratitude goes to my
lecturers for the knowledge given throughout my study at UNIMAS. Special thanks to Dewan
Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) for allowing me to conduct my project at their Compost
Centre, Sejingkat, Kuching. Finally, I wish to thank my friends, who have in many ways
encouraged and challenged me to perform my best.
Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik e~IVERSm MALAYSIA SARAWAK
TABLE OFCONIENIS
Acknowledgement
Table of Contents II
List of Abbreviations v
List of Tables and Figures vi
Abstract ix
Abstrak x
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
l.l Background of the study
1.2 Research problem 3
1.3 Problem statement 3
1.4 Objectives of the study 4
1.5 Scope of the field study 5
1.6 Significant of the study 5
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEWS 6
2.1 Composting 6
2.2 Parameters of composting 8
2.3 Municipal green waste management at DBKU 12
2.4 Documentation of green waste management 13
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 14
3.1 Preliminary study 14
3.2 Materials 16
ii
163.2.1 Compost A
173.2.2 Compost B
173.3.3 Compost C
3.3 Methods 18
3.3.1 Preparation for box composting 18
3.3.2 Preparation of compost materials 20
3.4 Controls and the composting process 23
3.4.1 Aeration 23
3.4.2 Monitoring compost heap temperature 24
3.5 Analyses 25
3.5.1 Physical analysis 25
3.5.2 Maturity analysis 26
3.5.3 Physical characteristic of grind compost 31
3.5.4 C:N Ratio 32
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 33
4.1 Temperature of compost piles 33
4.1.1 Compost A 33
4.1.2 Compost B 35
4.1.3 Compost C 36
4.2 Moisture Content 37
404.3 Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (CIN)
424.4 Compost weight reduction
434.5 Water and dry matter loss
444.6 Germination analyses
iii
4.6.1 Compost A
4.6.2 Compost B
4.6.3 Compost C
4.6.4 Germination index
4.6.4.1 Compost A
4.6.4.2 Compost B
4.6.4.3 Compost C
5.0 CONCLUSION
6.0 REFERENCES
7.0 APPENDICES
44
49
53
56
57
58
59
62
64
68
iv
-
usr OF ABBREVIATIONS
DBKU Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara
°c Degree Celsius
GJ Germination Index
C/N Carbon to Nitrogen ratio
% Percentage
Kg Kilogram
nun Millimeter
em Centimeter
CO2 Carbon dioxide
m Meter
L Liter
v
usr OF TABlFS
No Title Page
Delivery of green wastes of fruit and vegetable from wholesalers to 13 DBKU compost centre, Sejingkat between February 2012 to
December 2012
2 Moisture content and dry matter of the compost 38
3 Table of carbon an nitrogen content in compost 40
4 Reduction of weight 42
5 Water and dry matter loss of Compost A, Band C 43
6 Table of Germination Index after two days of incubation in the dark 56
usr OF FIGURES
No Title Page
Interview with Mr. Henable Henry Nessan 15
2 Processing of green wastes at compost centre 15
3 Compost A material 16
4 Compost B material 17
5 Compost C material 18
6 Compost boxes 19
7 19Compost boxes under canopy
8 20Preparation of compo sting materials for Compost A
vi
No Title Page
9 21Preparation of composting materials for compost B. (a) Size reduction of
materials and (b) mixing of the matrix in the composting box
10 22Preparation of composting materials for Compost C
II Mixing and turning of compost materials to control temperature, aeration 23 and enhance microbial degradation
content
analyses
12 Measurement of ambient temperature 24
13 Measurement of compost temperature 24
14 Weighing compost samples before and after drying to analyze moisture 25
15 Preparation of compost extract for Maturity and Germination Index 27
16 Preparation of samples for Maturity and Germination Index (GI) tests 28
17 Germinated green bean seeds 29
18 Germinated cabbage seeds 29
19 Measurement of root length 29
20 Physical characteristic of compost 31
21 Carbon and nitrogen analysis using CHN analyzer 32
22 Temperature profile of Compost A 34
23 Temperature profile of Compost B 35~
24 Temperature profile of Compost C 36
Moisture content of Compost A, Band C
26 Germination of green bean seeds on Compost A 45
25 38
vii
55
57
60
61
-"
No Title Page
46
28 Mean of root length for green bean seeds on Compost A 47
27 Germination of cabbage seeds on Compost A
48Mean of root length for cabbage seeds on Compost A
30 Germination of Green Bean Seeds on Compost B 49
A)
31 Germination of cabbage seeds on Compost B 50
32 Mean of root length for green bean seeds on Compost B 51
33 Mean root length of cabbage seeds on Compost B 52
34 Germination of Green Bean Seeds on Compost C 53
35 Germination of cabbage seeds on Compost C 54
36 Mean root length of green bean seeds on Compost B 55
37 Mean root length of cabbage seeds on Compost C
38 Green bean seeds germinated in 100% compost concentration (Compost
39 Germination Index (%) for green bean seeds
40 Germination Index (%) for cabbage seeds
29
VIII
-Processing of Green Waste for Production of Compost
Siti Nurbaidzuri binti Reli @ RaiJy
Master of Environmental Science Faculty of Resource Science and Technology
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
ABSTRACf
The use of compost in plantation is very important as an amendment to the soil. This study was not only
significant in reducing the amount of waste in landfills but also helps the city to process their green wastes and to
produce their own compost for landscape activities. It is essential to encourage composting by transforming any
potential green wastes to become a usable and high quality end product. Aeration, temperature and moisture
content are three imponant principals which control the composting proces . A total of 365 kg of green waste
was used as materials for composting and towards the end of the process the weight was reduced by 160.4 kg.
This study foc uses on the process of green wastes to produce compost and explores the suitable type of material
used. The m thod used was box composting due to its simple operation, with manual turning once a week. Three
types of compost namely Compost A, Compost B and Compost C was produced from different types of green
wastes. Green wastes used for compost A were fruits, vegetables, green leaves, grasses and compost materials
from DBKU c mpost centre that has undergo decomposition for about two months. Hence. compost A was only
used as the baseline in this study. Compost B consisted of grasses, leaves, vegetables and fruits. Compost C was a
mixture of grasses and leaves from garden trimming. The initial weight of fresh Compost Band C was 87.9 kg
and 56.4 kg and the weight loss after 30 days of composting was 52.2 kg (59.4%) and 26.6 kg (52.5%),
respectively. The weight of the final marketable product from Compost B was 35.7 kg and Compost C at 26.8 kg.
From the re ult of this study, the best compost was compost C (C/N ratio 12:1, weight reduction of 52.5%)
which gave the highest Germination Index at 171 % (Green bean seeds test), germinated in 20% compost
concentration.
Key word: Green waste, compost, Germination Index
IX
Pemprosesan Sisa Hijau untuk Penghasilan Kompos
Siti Nurbaidzuri binti Reli @ Raily
Master of Environmental Science Faculty of Resource Science and Technology
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
ABSTRAK
Kompos ada/ah penting untuk tanaman dan sebagai pel/yubur tallah. Kajian ini tidak hanya penting untuk
mengurangkan timbunan sampah di pusat pelupusan sampah tetapi juga membantu bandar ini ulltuk memproses
sisa hijau dall menghasilkan kompos untuk aktiviti pengurusan landskap. Adalah sangat penting untllk
menggalakkall kegiatall penghasilan kompos dengan menukar sisa hijau kepada produk yang berguna serta
berkualiti tinggi. Pengudaraan, suhu dan kelembapan adalah tiga prinsip penting yang mengawal penghasilall
kompos. Kajlall ini memberi fokus kepada proses penghasilan kompos menggllnakan sisa hijau serta mengkaji
jenis bahall YIlng sesuai digunakan. Kaedah yang digunakan adalah kotak kompos kerana pengendalianllya yang
mudah dan proses pembalikall ulltuk penglldaraan dilakukall seminggu sekali:Tiga kompos dalam kajiall ini iaitu
Kompos A, Kompos B dan Kompos C dihasilkan menggullakan sisa hijau yang berbeza. Jenis sisa hijau yang
digullakan untuk menghasilkan Kompos A adalah buah-buahan, sayur-sayuran, rumput, daun dan kompos yang
disediakan olell pihak pusal kompos Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara yang telah melallli proses pereputan
selama 2 bulall. Oleh itu, Kompos A hanya beifungsi sebagai tanda aras Ilntuk kajian illi. Kompos B pula terdiri
daripada, rumpul, daun-daun, sayur-sayuran dan buah-buahall. Kompos C adalah campuran rumput dan daun
daripada kerja pemangkasall taman. Berat awal Kompos A dan Kompos B adalah 87.9 kg dall 56.4 kg dan berat
kompos yang hilallg selepas 30 hari masing-masing adalah 52.2 kg (59.4%) dan 26.6 kg (52.5%.). Berat hasi!
akhir yang boleh dipasarkan untuk Kompos B adalah 35.7 kg dan Kompos C pada 26.8 kg. Hasil daripada kajian
ini mendapali kompos terbaik adalah Kompos C (nisbah karbon kepada nitrogen adalah 12:1, berat kompos
berkurangan sebllnyak 52.5%) dengan nilai index percambahan yang paling tinggi pada 17J% (ujian biji benih
kacang hijau), percambahan dalam kepekatan 20% larutan kompos.
Kala kunci: Sisa hijau, kompos, index percambahan
x
CHAPTERl
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Composting is a self-starting, self-heating and in certain circumstances, self
limiting process (Finstein and Morris, 1975). Compost spread on soil surfaces as a
mulch to enrich and insulate the soil takes time before it actually enters the ground.
The mulch of soil can help in retaining soil moisture in dry conditions and help to
suppress weeds. Besides it can protect the soil from winds and heavy rain that may
cause damage to the soil. The compost started showing its importance and really works
when the organic matter gets into the soil. This is because soil structure depends
almost entirely on organic matter. Besides the compost is the favors habitat for worms
and other organisms.
The process of composting has been utilized as an agricultural practice for the
recycling of organic wastes by returning organic wastes of the society back to the land
in order to maintain soil fertility. The composting process return the nutrients to the
soil which could and did take place utilizing the crude raw wastes without recourse to a
specific or standard methodology in order to produce a 'composting' effect.
Composting is one of the options for solid waste management, treatment and
di posal options. Composting can be applied in many countries because it can be
adopted in a broad range of situation. The residue is more easily stored, transported
and disposed off than the starting material.
Basically, any organic materials can be composted with adequate amount of
materi al to form a heap of which the minimum critical volume is 1 m3, sufficient
available moisture and free air space between the interstices for oxygen diffusion
(Bujang, 1993).
Kuching city has a lot of landscape and good landscaping management that lead
to piling up of green waste produced every day. Therefore, to reduce the dumping of
green wastes at landfill, producing compost by using green wastes is a good initiative.
Composts used in agricultural areas can increase soil structure, water storage capacity,
and nutrient retention (Pandey and Shukla, 2006). Compost application reduces plant
diseases and subsequently reduces pesticide use (Keener et aI., 2001).
The maturity of compost is very important to ensure the readiness of the
compost for soil amendment. Immature compost product have residual toxicity
compound that can induce high microbial activity and subsequent ntisappropriation of
oxygen (Beefa et aI. 1996). The gerntination index (GI) is the most sensitive parameter
used to evaluate toxicity of compost to seedlings and to test if the compost is matured
(Wong et al. , 2001). The maturity rate of the compost depends on the material used. GI
2
indicated increasing compost stability with processing time and gave significant
correlation with compost age (Gazi, 2007).
1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEMS
This scope of research problems intended to be revealed by this study are :
1.1 Current status of the composting activities performed by the local
municipali ties
1.2 Potentials of composting green wastes in reducing wastes chanelled to our
di minishing landfill sites
1.3 Possibility of marketing the compos ted green waste to the public, or for use as
a soil conditioner or mulching by the local councils
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Kuching is one of the cities in Malaysia that develops rapidly. Varieties of job
opportunities are prompting many people throughout the state to migrate and live in
this city. Increasing population in the city leads to improper disposal of wastes. Some
of the organic wastes and green wastes within the garbage heap actually can be
3
converted to compost. Composting of green and organic wastes can reduce the input of
wa tes in the landfill.
Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) compost centre which started
operating in 2002 focused on composting of green wastes. The effort done by DBKU
is very encouraging because they themselves produce a lot of green waste from their
landscaping activities. Besides, a lot of green wastes were sent to the compost centre
everyday by fruit and vegetable wholesalers. The multiplying heaps of green waste in
the compost centre required longer time to process. The study of suitable method
which could reduce the time required for composting process need to be conducted in
order to reduce the piling up of green wastes at the centre.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of this study are, and not limited to the following, which are to:
1.4 study the composting effort done by Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU)
1.5 identify the requirement for composting green waste
1.6 process the green wastes from municipal landscaping work and green waste
from dealer for the production of compost
4
Pusat Khidmat Maklumat Akademik J~lVtRSm MALAYSIA SARAWAK
1.5 SCOPE OF THE FIELD STUDY
The cope of the field study covered the processing of green wastes to produce
compost. This study was conducted at DBKU compost centre, Sejingkat, Kuching.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study are:
1.1 Academically, it is the best way to obtain hands-on knowledge from the
SLUSE programme.
1.2 Thi study can show the green waste production within areas under the custody
of Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara
1.3 Explanation of the method used to produce compost from green waste
1.4 The outcome of this study shows the composting activities that can help in
reducing landfill density and at the same time produce product that are useful to
both the environment and community.
5
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEWS
2.1 COMPOSTING
The world's populations have multiplied rapidly and are expected to grow
continuou ly in the future. The waste generated raised as the population increased .
Landfil ls were occupied by the waste from many sources. Most of the waste produced
ended up and incinerated in the landfill although most of the waste could be
composted. Composting is the best way to reduce the needs to excavate peat which
will destroy natural habitat and also can spares the damage of environment that was
caused by waste's burning and burying activities. Organic matters that were sent to the
landfill will slowly decay but it will produce methane, the main contributor to global
warming.
Gardeners across the world spend millions of tons of growing media, mulching
material and oil conditioners. Composting of the green waste is an inexpensive way to
convert the unusable organic waste into useful compost that can be used as soil
amendment or organic fertilizer. Recycling of green wastes can be done by
compostin-g. which is a microbiological process in which a succession of mixed
6
microbial populations is decomposing heterogeneous organic matters (Beffa, 2002).
Compo ts used in agricultural areas can increase soil structure, water storage capacity,
and nutrient retention (Pandey and Shukla, 2006). In addition, compost application
reduce plant diseases and subsequently reduces pesticide use (Keener et at., 200 I).
The main prerequisites to composting are organic wastes, microorganisms,
water and oxygen. Plants need three important things from soil which are water,
nutrient and air. All those main key things can be provided by compost.
Materials used for composting have different chemical content, for example
grass mowing is nitrogen rich while wood contains carbon. The right ratio of waste
mixture is crucial for producing of good quality compost. Kitchen waste have lack
structural strength but it can decomposed faster. The decomposting process will cause
the waste to lose its structure and collapse into an airless smelly mess. This is why the
balance combination of materials needed for producing good compost. More fibre
material like leaves and hedge pruning can be added to stop the heap from collapsing
by considering the fact that the high fibre material will decomposed slowly than soft
material (Thompson, 2007).
7
2.2 PARAMETERS IN COMPOSTING
Aeration, moisture content, temperature, water and carbon to nitrogen ratio are
parameters which are important in the processing of green wastes for production of
compo t.
i. Aeration
Aeration is important in maintaining moisture content and uniform
temperature throughout the compost heap. Composting process is the biological
changes of chemical structure or organic matter by the help of oxygen. Air is
much more important than food in composting because composting is an
aerobic process where oxygen is needed along the process. Air requirements of
the microorganisms are dependent on the type of waste, process temperature,
stage of the process and process conditions. Anaerobic process will cause the
compost to take time to mature compare to composting with aerobic process
and the end product will contain ammonia and hydrogen sulphide that comes
with an unpleasant scent (Thompson, 2007). The average compost heap will
runs oot of air before it is running out of food. The compost heap must be
manually aerated, or mixed continually throughout the compo sting process
(Maynard, 2000). Turning of compost heap mixes the compost materials,
increase porosity, promotes drying through release of water vapor, and
expose the compost mass to high interior temperatures so that adequate
pathogen destruction occurs (Beffa, 2002).
8
II. Moisture content
Water is a better conductor of heat compared to air which cause the wet
compost heap will loses heat more quickly than dry heap. Moisture content has
consequences for aeration. The moisture content of the heap must be high
enough in order to allow composting to occur. However, high moisture content
will cause odour problems in composting facilities, unless a very high degree of
attention is paid to blending and mixing to ensure that a freely ventilating and
completely aerobic composting material structure is retained (Last, 2006). The
addi tional of water to the heap of the green waste depending on its moisture
content. If the moisture content of the heap is less than 75%, the water need to
be added reasonably (Lopez-Real, 1990; Bujang, 1993b).
iii. Temperature
All biological reaction takes faster reaction at higher temperatures
including composting process. The temperature reflects the current rate of
activity and prior microbial activity. The composting ecosystem tends to limit
itself due to inhibitory high temperatures resulting from excessive heat
accumulation (Beffa, 2002). The compost itself generates its own heat and a
fre h heap's of compost contain abundance of water, food and air. The bacteria
in the heap respire at a prodigious rate where this activity generates a lot of heat
and cause the temperature of the compost heat rises. At the temperature of
35°C, Phsycrophile bacteria play its role. As the temperature of the heap is
9
between 35-550C, the bacteria will be replaced by thermophiles and as the
temperature continue to arises until 85°C and above, the mesophilic bacteria
will take turn to live in the heap. High temperature is good because the compost
will mature faster and the heat is high enough to kill seeds and disease spores.
However the high temperature does not indicate the compost is success because
are often considered to reduce dramatically the functional microbial diversity.
A thermogenic phase with temperatures exceeding 60°C was even considered
as a "microbial suicide" (Beffa, 2002) and temperatures are high enough to kill
pathogens and weed seeds and to break down phytotoxic compounds
(Cooperband,2002).
iv. Water
Microorganism and soil animal needs water. The bacteria and microbes
that live in the compost heap especially worm very intolerant of drying out.
Therefore, the ideal compost heap needs to have water content with reasonable
rate. Too much water lead to water logging and cause the heap become smelly
and undergo anaerobic process. Oxygen will then quickly become limited, and
microbial activity will decrease, as reflected by the decreasing temperature
(Baldwin, 2(09).
10
v. Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio
In the making of compost, carbon to nitrogen (C :N) ratio is very
important. A mixture of carbon and nitrogen material must be placed in the
compost heap to ensure the good quality of the compost result. The nitrogen act
as the food supply for all microorganisms that help in compost production and
the correct mixture of compost initial materials in other hand will allow
efficient, fast compost production. Higher ratio complicated the pathway for
microbial degradation and lower ratio cause severe nitrogen losses through
ammonia volatilization.
Compost maturity and stability also can be measured by determining its
C:N ratio. The C:N ration should be between 25: 1 and 35: 1 for most compost
organi m to thrive and have a high degree of efficiency of N assimilation into
microbial biomass. When the C:N ratio is too low, N is lost through ammonia
volatilization (Maynard, 2000). A C:N ratio greater than 40: 1 promotes
immobilization of plant-available nitrogen and slows the decomposition
process because of limited N (Zibilzke, 2005). Green materials usually have
lower C:N ratios than woody materials or dead leaves (Cooperband, 2002). The
well-mature compost have C/N ratio of about 10, but it is difficult to achieve by
composting.
II