Food Waste Composting With Selected Paper Products

Compost Science & Utilization, (2008), Vol. 16, No. 1, 36-42

Menghau Sung (1) and William F. Ritter (2)

(1) Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan
(2) Department of Bioresources Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware

Food waste composting with selected paper material was conducted in this study to determine the composting efficiency of various paper materials, (regular paper plates, Earthshell-made plates, and a commercial biogradable paper product) to be used in the food service industry, and to understand the effects of the finished compost as a growing medium. Composting experiments were carried out in three piles each with a total weight of approximately 340 kg and a height of 90 cm. Major ingredients in the compost recipe include food waste, dairy manure, and silage. Finished compost was mixed with a sassafras sandy loam in various ratios to grow corn and tomato plants in a greenhouse potting experiment. Composting experiment results indicated that the recipe we developed was very successful in disintegrating all types of paper products. The addition of 25% by weight of the finished compost in the composite growing medium had the least effect on plant germination and growth. Significantly different growth behaviors were observed between corn and tomato plants.

Copyright 2007, The JG Press, Inc.