Centralized management of sewage sludge and agro-industrial waste through co-composting

Gutiérrez, M.C.; Serrano, Antonio; Siles, J.A.; Chica, A.F.; Martín, M.A.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.03.042

Cited by 32 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In addition, co-composting can help to maintain the C/N ratio, allow the moisture of the mixture to be adjusted to optimal values and even dilute some possible inhibitory substances (i.e., metals). The most recommended option is to mix different wastes or by-products of low or no market value generated in areas close to the centralized composting facilities [34]. therefore depends on the need to export a share of its organic waste to plants located in extra-regional territories.…”

Section: Critical Process Parameters In Compostingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Composting can be broadly applied at three scales of operations: (1) large-scale centralized operations that are complex and serve vast geographic areas and sectors; (2) community-scale or decentralized operations that serve primarily residential neighborhoods or community levels; and (3) home/backyard scale operations that serve individual housing units [19]. At industrial level, centralized composting facilities have been extensively studied and the number of treatment facilities is increasing with respect to current waste management regulations [13,34,41]. Community composting has also gained some attention and has been encouraged by national legislations in recent years, which will be thoroughly reviewed and discussed in the following sections.…”

Section: Composting Scalesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Decentralized Community Composting: Past, Present and Future Aspects of Italy

et al. 2020

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Italy is among the top biowaste-generating countries in Europe, and has a well-structured waste management framework with quite a number of centralized composting facilities. In recent years, there has also been huge interest from local communities in decentralized composting. Although decentralized community composting is common in some countries, there is still a lack of information on the operative environment together with its potential logistical, environmental, economic, and social impacts. Considering the national Italian legislation on community composting as well as successfully implemented projects at EU level, Italy can set a model especially for Mediterranean countries that intend to build decentralized composting programs. Therefore, in the context of this review paper, a brief overview of the composting process was presented together with main applications in centralized and especially in decentralized composting, while the main focus was kept on the operative and legislative information gathered from Italian community composting. There is a huge difference in the number of composting plants between the regions, and the lack of centralized facilities in the central and southern regions can be supported by decentralized solutions. Decentralizing waste treatment facilities and thus creating local solutions to urban waste management strategies will help to achieve the resource recovery and valorization targets in line with the circular economy.

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Section: Critical Process Parameters In Compostingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Composting Scalesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decentralized Community Composting: Past, Present and Future Aspects of Italy

et al. 2020

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“…Wastewater sludge is the prevalent residue of wastewater treatment plants and is often treated through anaerobic digestion which converts organic matter into biogas and digestate [5]. The amount of sludge produced in Europe (in 2010), China (in 2006) and the United States (in 2004) is about 9, 3 and 6.5 million tonnes on a dry basis per year, respectively, which is why energy production due to anaerobic fermentation is expected to grow, and with it, the production of digestates from sludge [6]. The use of digestate in agriculture as fertilizer has recently been regulated by the EU Fertilizer Regulation which promotes the use of fertilizers from recycled biowaste but does not include wastewater sludge digests in the list of sources to which the Regulation applies [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of MSW Compost and Digestate Mixtures for a Circular Economy Application

et al. 2020

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In order to obtain a product with agronomic characteristics and biological stability consistent with the EU fertilizer decree for the market of EU fertilising products three different mixtures obtained from sludge digestate from municipal wastewater treatment plant, fresh compost and mature compost have been studied and characterized. For the experimental activity, the raw samples and three mixing ones were collected for the analytical characterization. The biological stability was then assessed for all samples using different stability criteria such as Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate, Rottegrad self-heating factor, Residual biogas potential. Specific enzymatic tests provided information about the status of nutrient cycles (C, P and S) and to overall microbial activity. Physical (bulk density, particle density, air capacity and water content), nutritional (C, N, P, K, Mg, and Ca) and toxicological properties (seedling growth tests on Lepidum sativum L., Cucumis sativus L., Lolium perenne L.) were also evaluated in order to assess the feasibility of agronomic use of the digestate-based mixtures. All the digestate-based mixtures responded to the main characteristics of compost quality requirements proposed in national and international regulations. The evidence found in this study highlighted that the strategy of mixing of sludge digestates with the composts allowed to mitigate the environmental risk posed by each starting material and to valorize their nutrient content.

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“…9 One management alternative already implemented is composting, where the OMSW is stabilized in the form of an organic amendment to return nutrients to the soil. 8,10 However, composting is considered a waste management method rather than a valorisation method due to the low economic value of the generated product, entailing a cost to the olive oil sector. 11 Furthermore, the implementation of composting as management method for the OMSW would entail a decrease in the production of renewable energy produced by combustion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is anaerobic digestion a feasible alternative to the combustion of olive mill solid waste in terms of energy production? A critical review

Serrano

Gómez²,

Fermoso

et al. 2020

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

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The use of olive mill solid waste (OMSW) for energy production has been promoted mainly through combustion processes. However, the European Union promotes the substitution of combustion in favour of greener alternatives. Several publications have stated that the energy obtained from anaerobic digestion (AD) is a feasible waste-toenergy technology for OMSW. However, the question of which energetic method, AD or combustion, is better for the energetic valorisation of OMSW has lacked of a reliable energy balance that can answer it. The present research work aims to answer this question by evaluating the energetic potential of the biomethanization of OMSW, in comparison with the current combustion technology, based on the review of the available scientific literature. The present analysis demonstrates that AD of OMSW can generate a net energy production in the same range than the obtained by the OMSW combustion, enabling the AD as a greener alternative to combustion but not clearly offering a surplus of energy production.

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Centralized management of sewage sludge and agro-industrial waste through co-composting

Cited by 32 publications

References 24 publications

Decentralized Community Composting: Past, Present and Future Aspects of Italy

Decentralized Community Composting: Past, Present and Future Aspects of Italy

Evaluation of MSW Compost and Digestate Mixtures for a Circular Economy Application

Is anaerobic digestion a feasible alternative to the combustion of olive mill solid waste in terms of energy production? A critical review

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