The Role of Compost in Bio-waste Management and Circular Economy

Abstract

The increase of separate collections of bio-waste, largely represented by food waste, and their biological treatment is an essential feature of the waste management strategy. The aim of this paper was to highlight the role of compost in the circular economy, and its use in the agricultural sector. An annual time-step model for estimating soil organic matter (SOM) stock dynamics in a 22-year time frame was developed and tested on cardoon cropping system. The model took into account few soil parameters, mean annual temperature, and the cultural systems management, in particular organic fertilizers and crop residues. This work indicates that compost use in agriculture would be beneficial both for SOM increase and GHG reduction. The results showed how high-quality compost could represents the actual driving force of this change able to connect food, waste, economy and environment.