Organic Waste Recycling

Composting 135

Socio-economic considerations

Socio-economic factors relate to health regulations, state laws regarding the sale of
fertilizers or soil conditions, public acceptance, and marketing and distribution.
The distribution and utilization of composts produced from sewage sludge or
refuse may need regulations that will require stabilization, pathogen reduction,
and chemical analysis. The general public is more attuned to acceptance of
composted sludges or refuses than unstabilized and potentially malodorous
materials. If the application of chemical fertilizer is cheap, subsidized or
practiced for long time, then the farmers will be reluctant to use compost
products as fertilizer. The extent of utilization of composts will depend on the
type of market and its proximity to the processing facility. Transportation costs
and distance to markets will affect product value and its potential use.

Figure 3.22 Flow chart of compost fertilizer production process

Product quality

The compost quality is greatly dependent on the chemical and physical
characteristics of the raw materials, and on the processing system used to
produce it. N, P and K are essential plant micronutrients (the higher the content

Composted material Coarse screening

Marketing

Waste materials

Curing

Grinding

Chemical fertilizers Compost mixture

Packaging of

composted product