Composting

Adding a healthy person’s urine to compost usually will increase temperatures and therefore increase its ability to destroy pathogens and unwanted seeds.

Compost can also be used to generate biogas through anaerobic digestion.

The aerated base is just visible through the food scraps and Bokashi bran.

Many such short processes involve a few changes to traditional methods, including smaller, more homogenized pieces in the compost, controlling carbon to nitrogen (CN) ratio at 30 to 1 or less, and monitoring the moisture level more carefully.

Compost can be rich in nutrients.

Thermophilic (high-temperature) composting is well known to destroy many seeds and nearly all types of pathogens (exceptions may include prions).

Nitrogen — to grow and reproduce more organisms to oxidize the carbon.

Aerobic bacteria manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

“Humanure”

“Humanure” is a neologism designating human excrement (faeces and urine) that is recycled via composting for agricultural or other purposes.

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.

However, none of these parameters differ significantly from early writings of Howard and Balfour, suggesting that in fact modern composting has not made significant advances over the traditional methods that take a few months to work.

In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses).

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.

Treating biodegradable waste before it enters a landfill reduces global warming from fugitive methane; untreated waste breaks down anaerobically in a landfill, producing landfill gas that contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

In addition, earthworms not only ingest partly-composted material, but also continually re-create aeration and drainage tunnels as they move through the compost.

These scraps are then inoculated with a Bokashi EM mix.

The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil.

Although metabolites of urea are nitrogen fertilizers, it is easy to over-fertilize with urine creating too much ammonia for plants to absorb, acidic conditions, or other phytotoxicity.

Aerobic bacteria manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment.

The USA is the only Western country that does not distinguish sludge-source compost from green-composts, and by default in the USA 50% of states expect composts to comply in some manner with the federal EPA 503 rule promulgated in 1984 for sludge products.

Disadvantages (from the modern perspective) are that space is used for a whole year, some nutrients might be leached due to exposure to rainfall, and disease producing organisms and insects may not be adequately controlled.

As a substitute for a flush water process, it reduces the energy consumption and, hence, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation and processing of water and waste water.

Once the container is full, it is left to ferment for an additional 2 weeks in the container, and then buried under 6-8 inches of soil, in ground or in a non-reactive container.

The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture.

Treating biodegradable waste before it enters a landfill reduces global warming from fugitive methane; untreated waste breaks down anaerobically in a landfill, producing landfill gas that contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Worms and fungi further break up the material.

Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials.

For this reason and others, many modern scientists who deal with carbon transformations are sceptical that there is a “super-charged” way to get nature to make compost rapidly.[citation needed] They also point to the fact that it is the structure of the natural molecules - such as carbohydrates, proteins, and cellulose - that really dictate the rate at which microbial-mediated transformations are possible.

Urine

People excrete far more of certain water-soluble plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) in urine than in faeces.

Generally, direct seeding into a compost is not recommended due to the speed with which it may dry and the possible presence of phytotoxins that may inhibit germination, and the possible tie up of nitrogen by incompletely decomposed lignin.

The EM are natural lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria that act as a microbe community within the kitchen scraps, fermenting and accelerating breakdown of the organic matter.

Each type of manure has its own physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.

Compost can also be used to generate biogas through anaerobic digestion.

Urine usually does not stink for long, particularly when it is fresh, diluted, or put on sorbents.

In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses).

In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover (see compost uses).

As a substitute for a flush water process, it reduces the energy consumption and, hence, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation and processing of water and waste water.

Composting organisms require four equally important things to work effectively:

Carbon — for energy; the microbial oxidation of carbon produces the heat[citation needed].

The EM are natural lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria that act as a microbe community within the kitchen scraps, fermenting and accelerating breakdown of the organic matter.

Fungi- Molds and yeast help break down materials that bacteria cannot, especially lignin in woody material.

For this reason and others, many modern scientists who deal with carbon transformations are sceptical that there is a “super-charged” way to get nature to make compost rapidly.[citation needed] They also point to the fact that it is the structure of the natural molecules - such as carbohydrates, proteins, and cellulose - that really dictate the rate at which microbial-mediated transformations are possible.

Oxygen — for oxidizing the carbon, the decomposition process.

Unlike faeces, urine doesn’t attract disease-spreading flies (such as house flies or blow flies), and it doesn’t contain the most hardy of pathogens, such as parasitic worm eggs.

Vermicompost
Rotary screen harvested worm castings

Vermicompost is the product of composting utilizing various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste (not to include meat, dairy, fats, or oils), bedding materials, and vermicast.

Cardboard or clean paper
Dried-out egg shells
Leaves, yard trimmings
Fruits and vegetables
Coffee and tea

Uses
Main article: Uses of compost

Compost is generally recommended as an additive to soil, or other matrices such as coir and peat, as a tilth improver, supplying humus and nutrients.

The liquid is applied as a spray to non-edible plant parts such as seedlings, or as a soil-drench (root dip), or as a surface spray to reduce incidence of harmful phytopathogenic fungi in the phyllosphere.Totally

Disadvantages (from the modern perspective) are that space is used for a whole year, some nutrients might be leached due to exposure to rainfall, and disease producing organisms and insects may not be adequately controlled.

For this reason and others, many modern scientists who deal with carbon transformations are sceptical that there is a “super-charged” way to get nature to make compost rapidly.[citation needed] They also point to the fact that it is the structure of the natural molecules - such as carbohydrates, proteins, and cellulose - that really dictate the rate at which microbial-mediated transformations are possible.

The “microbial pesticides” in compost may include thermophiles and mesophiles, however certain composting detritivores such as black soldier fly larvae and redworms, also reduce many pathogens.

It provides a rich growing medium, or a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals, providing the support and nutrients in which plants can flourish, although it is rarely used alone, being primarily mixed with soil, sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, perlite, or clay granules to produce loam.

This plant, with 15 independent anaerobic digestors will be the world’s largest composting facility once fully operational in early 2011 and forms part of the Qatar Domestic Solid Waste Management Center, the largest integrated waste management complex in the Middle East.

Treating biodegradable waste before it enters a landfill reduces global warming from fugitive methane; untreated waste breaks down anaerobically in a landfill, producing landfill gas that contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Vermicompost
Rotary screen harvested worm castings

Vermicompost is the product of composting utilizing various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste (not to include meat, dairy, fats, or oils), bedding materials, and vermicast.

Aerobic bacteria manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

It provides a rich growing medium, or a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals, providing the support and nutrients in which plants can flourish, although it is rarely used alone, being primarily mixed with soil, sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, perlite, or clay granules to produce loam.

Industrial scale composting in the form of in-vessel composting, aerated static pile composting, and anaerobic digestion takes place in most Western countries now, and in many areas is mandated by law.

The hotter the pile gets, the more often added air and water is necessary; the air/water balance is critical to maintaining high temperatures (135°-160° Fahrenheit) until the materials are broken down.

In the English-speaking world it was Sir Albert Howard who worked extensively in India on sustainable practices and Lady Eve Balfour who was a huge proponent of composting.

However, thermophilic composting requires a fair amount of material, around a cubic meter.

Bokashi is a method of intensive composting.

The amount of manure composted on a livestock farm is often determined by cleaning schedules, land availability, and weather conditions.

Co-composting is a technique that combines solid waste with de-watered biosolids, although difficulties controlling inert and plastics contamination from municipal solid waste makes this approach less attractive.

Liquid “compost tea” is drained once or twice a week and can be diluted 1:100 and added to plants as fertilizer, or poured directly down drains to help clean them.

For this reason and others, many modern scientists who deal with carbon transformations are sceptical that there is a “super-charged” way to get nature to make compost rapidly.[citation needed] They also point to the fact that it is the structure of the natural molecules - such as carbohydrates, proteins, and cellulose - that really dictate the rate at which microbial-mediated transformations are possible.

Although metabolites of urea are nitrogen fertilizers, it is easy to over-fertilize with urine creating too much ammonia for plants to absorb, acidic conditions, or other phytotoxicity.

Nitrogen — to grow and reproduce more organisms to oxidize the carbon.

In that process much water will be released as vapor (“steam”), and the oxygen will be quickly depleted, explaining the need to actively manage the pile.

This effect has been used by Sepp Holzer for one to allow fruit trees to survive at otherwise inhospitable temperatures and altitudes.

Humanure aids in the conservation of fresh water by avoiding the usage of potable water required by the typical flush toilet.

Mechanical sorting of mixed waste streams combined with anaerobic digestion or in-vessel composting is called mechanical biological treatment, and are increasingly being used in developed countries due to regulations controlling the amount of organic matter allowed in landfills.

Aerobic bacteria manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium.

The advantage of this method is that little working time or effort is required from the composter and it fits in naturally with agricultural practices in temperate climates.

It further prevents the pollution of ground water by controlling the faecal matter decomposition before entering the system.

For this reason and others, many modern scientists who deal with carbon transformations are sceptical that there is a “super-charged” way to get nature to make compost rapidly.[citation needed] They also point to the fact that it is the structure of the natural molecules - such as carbohydrates, proteins, and cellulose - that really dictate the rate at which microbial-mediated transformations are possible.

Humanure aids in the conservation of fresh water by avoiding the usage of potable water required by the typical flush toilet.

The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil.

It provides a rich growing medium, or a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals, providing the support and nutrients in which plants can flourish, although it is rarely used alone, being primarily mixed with soil, sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, perlite, or clay granules to produce loam.

Disadvantages (from the modern perspective) are that space is used for a whole year, some nutrients might be leached due to exposure to rainfall, and disease producing organisms and insects may not be adequately controlled.

Non-traditional bedding materials are also used, including newspaper and chopped cardboard.

Human urine can be used directly as fertilizer or it can be put onto compost.

It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture.