Research & reports

· Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery · Global

Examines decentralized in-vessel composting as an efficient technology for managing biodegradable solid waste.

· Agronomy · Global

Investigates the degradation of municipal waste through vermicomposting using a combination of Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus rubellus.

· Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management · Greece

Life cycle assessment comparing source separation of biowaste, pay-as-you-throw systems and autonomous (decentralized) composting units in the Municipality of Katerini, Greece.

Kizza-Nkambwe S., Mpewo M., Kasima J. S., Mfuranzima K. · Sustainable Environment · Mukono, Uganda

Assesses compost quality from a waste composting facility in Mukono municipality, central Uganda, analysing physicochemical parameters and heavy metals and arsenic in mature compost.

Bhardwaj P., Sharma R. K., Chauhan A., Ranjan A., Rajput V. D., Minkina T., Mina U., Tripathi A. · Water · India

Evaluates amending soil with municipal solid waste compost at different ratios and its effect on growth and yield of brinjal, tomato and okra, assessing heavy metal distribution and health risk for sustainable urban agriculture.

Lila B. Karki, Prem Bhandari · Global Journal of Agricultural Research · United States (Maryland)

This 2022 project collected data from 22 small, socially disadvantaged minority urban gardeners in Maryland to enhance their efficiency. Findings showed farmers operated rationally, cultivating an average of 20 diversified specialty, ethnic, and medicinal crops on 1.2 acres. They employed integrated alley and mixed cropping systems, rainwater harvesting, expanded compost-making, maintained high cropping diversity, and introduced a tier system to mitigate production, marketing, and financial risks.

Akhi Akter, Md. Forhad Hossain, Jubayer-Al Mahmud, Nasrin Sultana, Md Maruf Hasan, Tahira Begum · Journal of Agroforestry and Environment · Bangladesh (Dhaka)

This study investigated the impacts of vermicompost, sawdust, and cowdung on cauliflower growth and yield on a rooftop in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 2019 to July 2020. The experiment found that vermicompost (10 t ha-1) combined with recommended chemical fertilizers resulted in the highest yield (19.75 t ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (3.33). The results indicate that rooftops are suitable for cauliflower production using vermicompost.

Siti Hasanah, Mustika Widowati, Sri Hardiningsih, Vita Arumsari · KACANEGARA Jurnal Pengabdian pada Masyarakat · Indonesia (Semarang)

This community service project targeted women in the "Ijo Royo-Royo" Women Farmers Group in Tambakaji, Semarang City, Indonesia, addressing their limited experience in utilizing narrow home yards for planting and lack of skills in waste management. The project provided assistance in creating urban gardens for daily food independence, managing plastic waste for vertical planting, and processing vegetable and fruit waste into healthy drinks and organic fertilizer. The aim was to increase the economic value and benefits of urban backyard farming.

Ismed Setya Budi, Ismed Fachruzi, Mariana Mariana, Yusriadi Yusriadi, Muhammad Indar Pramudi, Helda Orbani Rossa · Jurnal Pengabdian ILUNG (Inovasi Lahan Basah Unggul) · Indonesia (Banjarbaru)

This project addressed agricultural challenges in Bangkal Village, Banjarbaru City, Indonesia, where farmers face issues with soil fertility and seasonal flooding. The proposed solution involved transferring technology for making organic fertilizer using indigenous microbes (Trichoderma sp.) and aquatic weeds (kalakai and kayapu). Initial outreach and a workshop with 42 participants revealed farmers needed direct practical guidance. Ongoing field assistance enabled the "Bunga Padi" farmer group to produce packaged organic fertilizer for market and local use, with the aim of eventually marketing Bangkal-specific organic red rice.

Medardo Wilfredo Blanco Villacorta · Revista de Investigación e Innovación Agropecuaria y de Recursos Naturales · Global

This review examined general aspects of vermicomposting to explore its use in treating organic solid waste and enhancing urban agriculture. It analyzed 99 papers published between 2000 and 2022, retrieved from Google Scholar. The review found that vermicomposting is a low-cost ecotechnological process where earthworms transform organic solid waste into vermicompost, making it suitable for recycling organic waste in cities and supporting urban agriculture sustainability.

Jordi Guimera Garcia, Natalie Bray, Yowhan Son, Aleah L. Butler-Jones, Sara Perl Egendorf, Jenny Kao‐Kniffin · Journal of Urban Ecology · United States (New York City)

In New York City, a study investigated plant growth (tomato, pepper, kale) in soils constructed from four municipal composts mixed with sediments from the NYC Clean Soil Bank, to assess the potential for safe urban agricultural soils. While Clean Soil Bank sediments enhanced plant growth when mixed with BRL compost, they also negatively impacted tomato aboveground biomass production by 29% in LES compost and tomato plant height by 18% in QBG compost, indicating variable effects depending on compost properties.

Juliana Marcela Santos Calderón, Julián David Coral Sanabria, Olga Ximena Aguilar Galvis · Innovando En La U · Global

This study investigated the effect of different amounts of vermicompost (0%, 20%, and 40%) on Batavia lettuce cultivation. It found that 20% vermicompost accelerated germination on the first day (P0.05). By day 40, 20% vermicompost influenced plant height and leaf number, resulting in an average height of 5.44 cm and 7.2 leaves by day 46 (P<0.05). These findings suggest that 20% vermicompost is the most recommended amount for Batavia lettuce.

Oto Prasadi, Andika Prastya, Muhammad Fauzi, Budi Nurochman · Society Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat · Indonesia

The "compost school" (skula kompos) program, initiated in 2019 by PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk, Cilacap factory, focuses on educating communities about household organic waste management. This program, part of the Baruwani Program, aims to reduce waste, produce compost for urban farming, and support the use of waste as alternative fuel in cement production. The compost school serves as a platform for outreach and training in compost making.

Agung Prabowo, Muhammad Ikhsan Alif · PengabdianMu Jurnal Ilmiah Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat · Indonesia

In Gunung Samarinda Baru Village, Indonesia, a community service activity addressed limited green open space through urban farming and waste management. The initiative involved training and practical sessions on hydroponic vegetable cultivation and compost processing from household waste, following initial socialization. Monitoring results showed that the community utilized their green open space for hydroponic vegetable growing, evidenced by a first harvest, and engaged in compost processing.

Yosefina Mangera, Jamaludin Jamaludin · ABDIKAN Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bidang Sains dan Teknologi · Indonesia

A community service program in Tambat Village, Merauke Regency, Indonesia, provided socialization and training to the Dwitrap farmer group on utilizing sago processing waste for organic fertilizer using black soldier fly larvae bioreactors. The program successfully transferred knowledge and skills, with participants demonstrating increased understanding of sago waste processing.

Sari Perwita Rahmanti Ignatia, Sunik · ASAWIKA Media Sosialisasi Abdimas Widya Karya · Indonesia

Dissemination activities, demonstrations, and training on organic urban farming were conducted for PKK members in RT 01, RW 04, Balearjosari Village, Blimbing District, Malang City, Indonesia. The initiative aimed to support homemakers in cultivating organic vegetables in their yards to achieve household-level food safety and security. The activities resulted in an increase in participants' knowledge, skills, and ability to apply organic cultivation practices in their respective yards, contributing to family food safety and security.

Wulan Sari Sinaga, Desyana Millenia Limeranto, Eugenia Larissa Bakti Pangala, Kukuh Madyaningrana · Pro-Life · Global

This research investigated the macro nutrient content of fruit peel-based liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) and its effect on Pakcoy (Brassica chinensis L.) growth over 56 days, using a completely randomized design with five treatments and five replications. The study found that the macro nutrients in the fruit peel-based LOF did not meet the Ministry of Agriculture's quality standards. However, a 0.4 mL dose of the fruit peel-based LOF showed the best effect in supporting Pakcoy plant growth across all measured parameters.

Isaac Asirifi, Korbinian Kaetzl, Steffen Werner, Stefanie Heinze, Felix K. Abagale, Marc Wichern, Manfred Lübken, Bernd Marschner · Journal of soil science and plant nutrition · Ghana

This study evaluated the agronomic and soil fertility effects of using municipal wastewater or anaerobically treated wastewater for irrigation and applying biochar to a soil from the Guinea savanna agroecological zone of Ghana. In a pot trial, lettuce and carrot were grown on soil mixed with raw biochar, water-washed biochar, or biochar used as wastewater filter material at 20 t ha−1, and irrigated with untreated municipal wastewater, anaerobically treated wastewater, or clean water. Results indicated higher crop growth and yields (up to 90% increase) with untreated and anaerobically treated wastewater than clean water, with anaerobically treated wastewater being more beneficial than untreated wastewater (up to 10% increase). Combining raw biochar with anaerobically treated wastewater increased pH, CEC, and P availability in the highly weathered acidic soil.

Alpana Kusum · · Global

This chapter reviews composting, the conversion of organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, distinguishing between municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and industrial organic waste as source materials, and describing aerobic composting, anaerobic composting, and vermicomposting methods. It states that managing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, moisture, temperature, and aeration is important for effective composting, and lists benefits including improved soil fertility, nutrient recycling, water-holding capacity, erosion control, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. It covers applications in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping, urban gardening, land reclamation, and bioenergy production, while also noting challenges such as managing contaminants, odor control, monitoring, and regulatory compliance.

Mahsa Tarashkar, Mansour Matloobi, Salman Qureshi, Akbar Rahimi · Ecological Indicators · Global

This study investigated the effects of tea waste compost on the growth traits of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and explored whether a clean carbon dioxide source from urban households could contribute to sustainable production. Tea waste gathered from urban households was decomposed for four months and mixed at 0–75% by volume with loamy garden soil; using a split-plot design, one greenhouse was enriched to an elevated CO2 concentration of 1500±100 ppm while a second was kept at the ambient level of 500±20 ppm. Results showed that elevated CO2 negatively affected radish yield, biomass accumulation, and vegetative growth parameters, while increasing volumes of tea waste compost, up to 75%, improved growth traits. At 75% tea waste compost, elevated CO2 had the same effect on growth traits as the normal level, showing a positive effect on total fresh weight but negative effects on total dry weight, leaf dry weight, and total leaf area. The study attributes the strongest support for radish growth at the highest compost volume (75%) to its high nitrogen content.

B. BOLOU-BI Emile, Philippe GUETY Thierry, TRAORE Adama, KONE Brahima · African Journal of Agricultural Research · Global

To evaluate the effect of biochar on tomato production in acidic soil, a complete randomized block design with 5 replications tested four treatments: 0% (T0, control), 8% (T1), 12% (T2) and 16% (T3) biochar application, measuring plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, fruit number and biomass. Plants receiving biochar (T1, T2, T3) were taller than the unamended control (T0); T1 plants averaged 12±2 fruits per plant, while T0 control plants produced no fruit at all, and T2/T3 fruit counts fell between the control and T1. Soil chemical analysis showed exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, pH, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and C/N ratio all higher than the initial soil, though treatments had no significant effect on soil enzymic activity. The study recommends recovering waste as an organic material source in urban horticulture and open-field cultivation to restore soil fertility.

Verónica Arcas‐Pilz, Xavier Gabarrell, Francesco Orsini, Gara Villalba · The Science of The Total Environment · Europe

A literature review mapped technologies for recovering nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from urban waste sources for use in urban agriculture (UA), distinguishing (1) food, organic and biowaste sources, for which 7 recovery strategies were identified, from (2) wastewater, for which 11 were identified, and assessed the potential for the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Recovering nutrients through composting and anaerobic digestion of organic waste, composting of wastewater sludge, struvite precipitation and ion exchange in wastewater effluent could, depending on the strategy, meet current and prospective UA phosphorus demand 2.7 to 380.2 times over and nitrogen demand 1.7 to 117.5 times over. Despite this technical potential, the review concludes that current perceptions, legislation and implementation and production costs relative to existing markets do not facilitate the actual application of these nutrient recovery strategies.

Tibisay Pérez, Sintana E. Vergara, Whendee L. Silver · Scientific Reports · United States

Continuous micrometeorological mass-balance measurements of greenhouse gas emissions from commercial-scale windrow food-waste composting found emission factors of 6.6–8.8 kg CH4–C and 0.01 kg N2O–N per Mg of wet food waste, for a combined emission factor of 926 kgCO2e per Mg of dry food waste. Composting emissions were 38–84% lower than equivalent landfilling, with a projected minimum net savings of 1.4 MMT CO2e for California by 2025.

Jordan Ashby, Clarissa Libertelli · Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) · United States

Just after NYC announced expansion of mandatory residential organics collection by 2024, the mayor's office eliminated funding for the city's community composting program. The article identifies three failures reflecting national trends: government 'composting' programs that actually rely on anaerobic digestion, centralized processing that concentrates environmental burdens in vulnerable neighborhoods, and mandatory government programs undercutting community composters' viability.

Cole Rosengren · Waste Dive · United States

California's Little Hoover Commission recommended pausing SB 1383, the state's organics recycling law, citing concern the state will miss its 2025 targets, but CalRecycle, industry and environmental advocates strongly opposed the pause, noting roughly $500 million already invested. 445 of 614 jurisdictions now have residential food-waste collection programs, and waste costs rose 20% for residential and 30% for commercial customers.