Composting: Fundamentals and recent advances

Abstract

Every year a huge amount of organic solid waste is generated globally. This quantity is expected to keep increasing, making sustainable, safe and environmentally responsible management of solid waste vitally important. Composting offers a circular and low-impact route to managing and treating organic solid waste and produces a nutrient rich medium with uses in horticulture and agriculture. Beginning with a solid introduction to the fundamentals of composting, including bioreactor engineering, energy and mass transfer issues and microbiology, this book then moves on to more complex topics such as compost stability, gaseous emissions and compost uses. With a focus on sustainability, the role of composting in biorefineries and how composting can complement other technologies such as anaerobic digestion and solid-state fermentation are also discussed. This book is a great resource for both students and researchers with an interest in organic waste management, sustainability or the circular economy. All rights reserved.