Managing organic municipal waste
5
Practical Action
Pit composting (Pune, India)
Biodegradable waste is placed in shallow pits and
left to decompose for several months. This
method is very simple, often practiced in public
parks or domestic gardens. In rainy conditions it
is susceptible to water logging.
Manual windrow composting (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
A windrow is a convenient way of piling organic
matter for composting in long rows with a
triangular cross section. Windrows can make fairly
efficient use of space, and turning compost
relatively easy. In this case they are turned
manually to allow sufficient air supply. The
aerobic condition allow the compost to mature
within three months.
Mechanical windrow composting (Luxor, Egypt)
This system is comparable to the manual windrow
composting but is applied at larger scale as
mechanical equipment is used. Mixed waste is
sieved prior to composting. The organic waste is
piled onto long windrows, which are frequently
turned mechanically with a turning machine.
Compost chute (Kandy, Sri Lanka)
This chute composting plant is basically a long
tube. Waste is fed in at the top. As more waste
is added, over a period of a few months, mature
compost emerges at the bottom. Gravity drives
this process, which involves minimal
mechanisation. Chimneys draw air up through the
compost.
This chute was developed by a partnership
between a university, NGO and municipality.
High-tech aerated static pile composting (Bali,
Indonesia)
Instead of a manual or mechanical turning of the
windrow, in this example the pile remains
unturned. Air is pressed through the material
through valves using a motor driven ventilator. In
Europe, the piles are additionally covered by a
geo-textile, reducing moisture losses.
Adapted from 'Marketing Compost’, Sandec 2008