More than one third of the food and organic products produced globally are left unprocessed or turn to waste every year. Almost all of this household food waste can be recycled to make alternate organic products for different uses. These products are either available for direct and indirect use for humans in shape of food, agricultural support materials and some for animal needs.
Circular economy is a model of consumption, recycling and reusing of existing materials and products as long as possible and as long as they provide benefit thus resulting in a zero waste left in the environment. The circular economy model also encourages communities to reduce as much waste as possible by repurposing and reusing most of their leftover materials resulting in lesser materials left for recycling.
Are all household wastes sustainable?
The answer is Yes. Almost all the organic household wastes can be transformed into useful sources of energy, compost and even useful nutrient for animals. This contributes towards a circular economy.
Types of Household Organic Wastes
Solid waste are discarded materials that are no longer required by the owner or user. Solid waste includes materials that are in a solid or liquid state but excludes wastewater and small particulate matter released into the atmosphere
Organic waste are biodegradable materials that come from living organisms, primarily human, animal and plants. These materials can decompose naturally and can used to create biogas and composted to create nutrients. In simpler terms, it is the waste produced in an average residential household. It mainly comprises of;
Fruit and Vegetable Scraps: Peels, cores, stems, and leftover parts from fruits and vegetables.
Cooked Food: Leftovers, rice, pasta, bread, and other cooked items that are no longer edible.
Eggshells: Used eggshells from cooking or baking.
Bones and Meat Scraps: Leftover bones, fat, and meat trimmings from cooking, though these are often composted with special care or disposed of differently.
Dairy Products: Spoiled milk, cheese rinds, and yogurt, though some dairy products may not be ideal for composting due to potential odor issues.
Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags: Used coffee grounds, tea leaves, and teabags (make sure to remove any non-biodegradable parts from tea bags).
Nutshells: Waste from cracking nuts, such as walnut shells, pistachio shells, etc.
Grass Clippings: Lawn mowing trimmings and leaves from yard maintenance.
Leaves: Fallen leaves from trees and shrubs.
Tree Branches: Small branches and twigs that are pruned from trees.
Plant Cuttings: Pruned flowers, plants, herbs, and shrub trimmings.
Flowers and Flower Arrangements: Wilting flowers or plant parts from gardening.
Pet Waste: Waste from pets such as dogs, cats, and other animals. While this can be composted in some cases, it requires special handling due to pathogens.
Manure: Animal manure from farm animals (e.g., cows, horses, chickens) used as fertilizer in gardening or agriculture.
Used Paper Towels: Towels or napkins used for cleaning or wiping up food spills.
Tissues: Used facial tissues and napkins.
Cardboard: Cardboard that is uncoated or not mixed with plastic.
All these Organic household waste can be processed through composting or anaerobic digestion. Composting is a natural process that uses microorganisms to break down organic waste into compost, a nutrient-rich fertilizer. Composting can be done a home or executed commercially at small and large scales
On the other hand, anaerobic digestion or biomethanization, uses microorganisms to break down organic waste without oxygen. The process results in producing biogas, a mixture of gases that can be used to generate heat and electricity.
Modern consumer habits also affect with the management of organic waste. There has been a significant increase in the amount of waste human generate due to overbuying, lack of meal planning, and food spoilage. Convenience foods and packaging have further disrupted the decomposition efforts, as many items are not easily separated into compostable and non-compostable components.
How Organic Wastes can be Segregated
The two most basic types of household wastes are biodegradable and the non-biodegradable. Social campaigns have always helped residents in many places in sorting household waste in different categories. Additionally some countries have introduced separate waste bins for residents to separate their wastes at very initial stages which helps the recycling facilities in sorting the amount of waste that must be taken to the recycling or incineration plants or to landfill.
What Organic Products can be obtained from Household Waste
Household organic waste can be transformed into several valuable products through processes like composting, anaerobic digestion, and other recycling techniques. Here are some of the key products that can be obtained from organic waste:
1. Compost
Through composting, food scraps and other organic materials break down into dark, crumbly soil-like material called compost. This compost can be used as a natural fertilizer for gardens, lawns, and agricultural fields. This organically prepared fertilizer Improves soil structure, increases nutrient content, enhances moisture retention, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
2. Biogas
Household organic wastes (such as food scraps and solid waste in shape of human and animal manure) is broken down by bacteria in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas. Biogas can be used as a renewable energy source for cooking, heating, or electricity generation. It reduces reliance on fossil fuels and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the leftover of this process is called digestate which is a nutrient-rich substance and can be used as a natural fertilizer, promoting sustainable agriculture.
Converting organic waste into biogas is a potential way to increase renewable energy decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.
You can study about biofuels in detail in our blog.
3. Vermicompost
Organic waste, especially food scraps and plant matter, can be fed to worms (such as red wigglers) to produce vermicompost. These worms eat-up and break down the organic material and turn it into high-quality compost. Vermicompost is rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms, improving soil health and plant growth. These worms are a potential food full of protein for poultry. We have a complete detailed study on composting and vermicomposting in our blog.
4. Animal Feed
Some food scraps, such as vegetable peels, fruits, and grains, can be fed to livestock or pets, reducing food waste. Care must be taken to avoid harmful or unsuitable food waste. This helps reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and provides a cost-effective, sustainable source of feed.
5. Biochar
Organic materials such as wood waste, crop residues, or even certain food waste can be converted into biochar through a process called pyrolysis (heating in the absence of oxygen). This results in a highly porous material that can be used as a soil amendment. Biochar improves soil fertility, increases water retention, and helps in carbon sequestration, thus reducing CO2 emissions.
6. Organic Mulch
Household waste such as leaves, grass clippings, and wood chips can be used as mulch to cover garden soil. As this mulch decomposes, this helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and add organic matter to the soil, enhancing the soil health, reducing the need for irrigation, and protecting plants from extreme temperatures.
7. Natural Dyes
Certain plant materials, like onion skins, beetroot, and avocado pits, can be used to create natural dyes for fabrics and crafts. This provides an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic dyes and reduces textile waste. By reusing and recycling organic waste in these ways, households can significantly reduce the environmental impact of waste, promote sustainability, and even create products that benefit their own living.
8. Highly Treated Drinkable Water
The household wastewater which is normally discharged into the rivers and oceans can be treated and purified using a three-step advanced treatment process consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. This process produces high-quality water that meets all the drinking water standards.
The process decreases dependency on costly desalinated seawater, improves groundwater quality by reducing the amount of dissolved solids (salt) in the groundwater basin, reduces the amount of wastewater discharged to the rivers and protects the environment by reusing a precious resource.
In United States, The Groundwater Replenishment System in California is the world’s largest water purification system for indirect potable reuse. The plant serves one million people everyday by providing 130 million gallons of highly treated wastewater in to clean drinkable water which meets all the state and federal standards.
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