Recycling of Waste Utilizing Novcom Composting Technology towards GHG Abatement from Source
Authors: Bera R. , Datta A. , Bose S. , Dutta S. , Mukhopadhyay K. , Goswami K. K. , Debnath M. , Barik A. K. , Ganguli M. , Narasimhan V. L. , Quah E. , Bhattacharya P. , Seal A. 
Published: February 2023

Increased emission of greenhouse gases with enhanced industrialization, urbanization and conventional agriculture has accelerated the climate change which poses a fundamental threat to the environment, biodiversity and peoples’ livelihoods. Moreover, targeting higher crop production, through conventional agriculture to feed a world population of 9.3 billion, by 2050; will entail higher GHG emission, considering that agriculture accounts for 17 percent of the global GHG emissions. But, agriculture is also the only sector, which can serve as a potential sink for GHG’s, through regeneration of the Soil-C sequestration potentials. Application of stable and mature organic amendments is one of the effective ways, but for taking the program at scale, the raw material source for compost production has to be abundant and cost free. In this respect any type of biodegradable waste specially landfill/ legacy waste perfectly fits the bill, but the primary requirement is availability of effective and economic composting technology/ ies that can justify the dual premise of safe and effective waste bio-conversion as well as GHG abatement. The present study under IBM-IORF Sustainability Project was taken up to study waste bio-conversion as well as GHG mitigation potential under Novcom Composting Technology. The GHG’s were measured using ‘Closed Chamber Method’ with daily reading for continuous 30 days. 

Analysis of the Novcom compost samples confirmed their stability and maturity as depicted by the CO2 evolution rate (2 mgCO2–C/ g OM/ day) and the safety/ non- phytotoxic effect was confirmed by the germination index value of 1.12. The total NPK value of 4.18% indicated a high nutrient content and the C:N ratio of 13:1 indicated an effective nutrient mineralization potential, post soil application. However, the significant finding was made in respect of the soil microflora population which was found in the order of 19 – 56 x 1016 c.f.u., per gm or in other words 1 trillion billion c.f.u. per ton moist compost.

The study indicated a significantly low GHG emission (11.38 kg CO2 equivalent/ ton treated waste) under Novcom Composting Technology, which was found to be 17 times lower in comparison to the reference values obtained in respect of the other biodegradation processes. Also, a very insignificant methane emission (0.67 kg CO2 equivalent/ ton treated waste) was recorded under this technology. The generated database along with the initial and final data of moisture, carbon and nitrogen was utilized for development of empirical equations to predict GHG emission under Novcom Composting Technology. These empirical equations were consequently utilized to evaluate the GHG abatement potential of Novcom Composting Technology while recycling landfill materials, MSW, legacy waste, press mud, coir pith, vegetable market waste, refuse from food processing industry and wheat mill waste.

According to the assessment as per IPCC guideline, bioconversion of these wastes through Novcom Composing Technology can enable a GHG abatement of 5039 kg CO2 eq per ton (on an average) of treated waste. Hence, this composting technology can facilitate an effective model towards attainment of the Net Zero objective along with significant social and economic impacts.