## 2 Materials and Methods  
The study was carried out at a compost facility located at the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The compost facility was in a double-span greenhouse that covers an area of around 100 m\({}^{2}\) and has a maximum height of 7 m. The composting materials consisted of food waste, sawdust (bulking agent), and mature compost (microbial inoculant). The food waste was collected from food establishments and households near to the university; the sawdust was purchased; and the mature compost was sourced from the compost facility.  
Uncovered 150 kg cone-shaped compost piles were used to study the optimal initial moisture content and mature compost proportion during the food waste composting. The piles had base diameters of \(\sim\)1.2 m and heights of 0.6-0.8 m. Six compost piles from the same batch with different initial moisture contents (42%, 55%, 61%, 66%, 70% and 78%) were investigated. The initial moisture content was achieved by spreading the food waste on a mesh filter and air drying overnight, as well as adding different amounts of water. In addition, four compost piles with different mature compost ratios (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% _w/w_) were studied to determine the optimal seeding proportion. The moisture content of the piles was maintained at 60-65%.  
Thereafter, a 400 kg compost pile with the optimal initial moisture content and mature compost proportion was set up to study the temperature, moisture, and pH of the compost mixture during a 30-day incubation period. The pile had a base diameter of \(\sim\)1.70 m and a height of 0.7-1.0 m. The compost experiments were set up similarly to our previous study [15]. Prior to mixing the composting materials, the food waste was ground to sizes \(<2\) cm before the sawdust was added to adjust the moisture content. The mature compost was then applied to ensure that the compost contained adequate microbes for an effective composting operation. Finally, the initial composting material was homogeneously mixed and stacked in cone-shaped piles for easy aeration and parameter control. The compost piles were incubated for 30 days during which the temperature, moisture content, and pH were monitored daily. The piles were turned over daily using shovels to ensure aerobic conditions were maintained.  
Before the daily turnover, the surface of the 400 kg pile was divided into ca. \(15\times 15\) cm patches, and the temperature within each was recorded using a digital thermometer (TES 1310 K-type) with \(\pm\) 0.1 \({}^{\circ}\)C sensitivity furnished in a 1.2 m probe. This facilitated about 50 measurements. The coordinates and the temperature readings were then plotted into 2D temperature contour plots using Surfer(r)version 15. Compost samples were also collected daily at five different points of the pile (from the center and at four equidistant points, 15-20 cm deep) for the analysis of the moisture and pH. The samples were homogeneously mixed before the analysis. The moisture content was determined following the NIEA R203.02C Taiwan standards, while the pH analysis followed the USEPA method 9045C. The C:N ratio was measured using the NIEA R.409.21C standard method.