Bio-nutrient recycling with a novel integrated biodegradable waste management system for catering companies

Conventionally, catering waste is stored as per the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 142/2011 before it is accepted for treatment by waste managers. Due to significant electricity and fuel consumption, the storage and waste management service not only cause substantial impacts on air quality and the climate, but also increase expenditure for catering companies. On-site intensive composting could considerably decrease these negative effects. Moreover, it would contribute to a circular economy by promoting nutrient recycling. In this study, the compost produced by an Oklin GG 10s on-site composter was characterised by high organic matter (>75% of dry matter), total nitrogen (1.85% of dry matter), and total potassium (1.85% of dry matter) contents. The total phosphorus content was relatively low (0.24% of dry matter), with most of it being in water-soluble form (444.60 mg L−1). The compost contained no heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens. The direct impact on air quality was positive (0.042 kg t−1 or 3.4 times lower than that from intensive/centralised food waste composting). This paper presents the results of the compost quality analysis and air emissions evaluation.