Researchers at IIT-Guwahati unveil an innovative technology for organic waste management

Guwahati, Jan 13: Researchers from the Waste Management Research Group (WMRG) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, have devised a novel method to aid municipal corporations in effectively handling organic waste.

The innovative approach involves merging Rotary Drum Composting (RDC) with vermicomposting (RDVC). This combination forms a sustainable and effective process, enabling municipal corporations to extract valuable products from organic waste, as mentioned in an official statement released on Friday.

This technique can also be utilised to produce nutrient-rich soil conditioner from invasive aquatic weeds like water hyacinth.

Open dumpsites where municipal solid waste is disposed of often contain more than 50% organic materials. The prolonged decomposition of these organics generates significant heat, presenting both environmental challenges and obstacles to attaining sustainable development goals, as highlighted in the statement.

In contrast to other waste biodegradation methods, Rotary Drum Composting (RDC) stands out by transforming various organic materials into nutrient-rich compost in a mere 20 days. This swift process results in a notable reduction in municipal waste volume, typically ranging from 60% to 70%.

While Rotary Drum Composting (RDC) has the drawback of producing lower-quality compost, Vermicomposting is a superior but time-consuming process, typically taking at least 60 days. Recognising this, the Waste Management Research Group at IIT Guwahati has innovatively devised a two-stage biodegradation strategy by combining the strengths of both RDC and Vermicomposting. This approach addresses the limitations of each method, offering a balanced and effective solution, as mentioned in the statement.

Speaking about the novel technique, Prof Ajay S Kalamdhad, department of civil engineering at IIT Guwahati, who led the research, said, "We optimised the RDC technique and combined it with vermicomposting to reduce the duration of biodegradation. The earthworms, Eisenia fetida, can acclimatise faster to partially degraded organic matter from the drum compost and produce vermicompost in just 27 days."

Researchers identified the microbial composition of the compost using metagenomic analysis. The conclusive findings confirmed that the end product is non-toxic and deemed safe for use as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner, boasting a total nitrogen content of 4.2%, sourced from recycled waste materials.

Prof Kalamdhad said, "This proven technique not only handles sizable quantities of organic waste but also offers immediate application feasibility for municipal corporations, industries, sewage treatment facilities, aquatic weeds, and various organic waste management sectors.”

Upon scaling up the process, it achieved the production of 100 to 150 kg of vermicomposting within a month, utilising a daily waste input ranging from 250 kg to 300 kg. The heightened population of earthworms led to the additional production of earthworms as a secondary end product.

The findings of the study have been published in multiple research papers in the Journal of Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, Journal of Environmental Management, Bioresource Technology, and Waste Management, among others. They were co-authored by Suryateja Pottipati and Prof. Kalamdhad.

The technology has been transferred to The Apshisht Management and Environmental Research Pvt Ltd, a company situated in the IIT Guwahati incubation centre, to facilitate the distribution of organic bioproducts to end-users.

The product has been named as 'Mati Dhan Organic Vermicompost Fertilizer Manure for Plants,’ and is now available for purchase on online platforms such as Amazon and INDIAMART, as mentioned in the release.