Overview of Biowaste Treatment Technologies

Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Biowaste - Terminology Biodegradable waste

Gardens and parks

Mixed municipal waste
Restaurants, canteens, bars
Municipal
Households
waste Septic tank sludge
Retail premises
Biowaste

Commercial/ Wood pulp, paper and cardboard

Industrial waste production and processing

Aquaculture
Cultivation, culture Horticulture
and breeding waste
Agriculture

Forestry
Fishing and hunting
waste
What is SOWATT?
 Share of biowaste in Municipal Solid Waste

UNEP & ISWA (2015)

Other 19%

Other 28%
Textiles 1%
Metals 5%
Biowaste 53% Biowaste 34%

Textiles 2% Glass 6%
Metals 2%
Glass 2%
Plastics 7% Plastics 11%

Paper 6% Paper 24%

Low Income Country High Income Country

Biowaste treatment

 Reduce public health threats

 Reduce environmental burden
 Return the resource value of
waste to economy
 Create new business opportunities
Biowaste treatment technologies

Lohri et al., (2017)

TECHNOLOGIES PROCESSES

PRODUCTS

Animal
husbandry Agriculture Bio-energy
END-USE
Biowaste treatment technologies

Windrow Composting In-vessel Composting Vermicomposting

Black Soldier Fly Anaerobic Digestion Slow Pyrolysis

Processing
Bonus modules

 Calculating size of AD reactor

 Determining C/N ratio

 Determining moisture content

 Building a fixed dome reactor

 Operating a BSF facility

Key reading

 Lohri et al. (2017) Treatment

technologies for urban solid
biowaste to create value products:
a review with focus on low- and
middle income settings
Science of Composting
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
What is composting?
What is composting?
What is composting?

Raw Organic material Microorganisms + Oxygen Compost

When is compost finished?

 Maturity
 Degree of humification

 Stability
 Temprature (≈ ambient)
 Oxygen concentration (>10–15%)
Sieving
Sieving
Benefits of Composting
Benefits of Composting

 Organic matter source

 Water retention

 Better soil structure

 Increase fertility

 Reduce fertilizer requirements (50%)

Summary

 Composting process

 Maturity and stability

 Benefits of composting
Composting technologies
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Introduction

 Windrow composting

 Passively aerated windrows

 Forced aerated windrows

 In vessel composting

 Bin composting
Windrow Composting
Windrow Composting
Windrow Composting
Windrow Composting
Comparison of Composting Technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated Windrows
Passively Aerated Windrows
Passively Aerated Windrows
Comparison of Composting Technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated W. •• •• ••••• ••• ••

Forced Aerated Windrows
Forced Aerated Windrows
Forced Aerated Windrows
Comparison of Composting Technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated W. •• •• ••••• ••• ••

Forced Aerated W. •••• •••• •••• • ••

In-vessel composting
Comparison of Composting Technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated W. •• •• ••••• ••• ••

Forced Aerated W. •••• •••• •••• • ••

In-Vessel ••••• ••••• ••• • ••

Bin Composting
Bin Composting
© ESCAP
Passively Aerated Windrows
Comparison of Composting Technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated W. •• •• ••••• ••• ••

Forced Aerated W. •••• •••• •••• • ••

In-Vessel ••••• ••••• ••• • ••

Bin Composting ••• •• ••• ••••• ••

Operating the Composting Process
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Let’s start!
Composting: Always good?
Operational parameters

 Carbon – Nitrogen Ratio (C:N)

 Particle size - Porosity
 Moisture content
 pH
 Temperature and climate
Carbon – Nitrogen ratio (C:N)

C N
Carbon – Nitrogen ratio (C:N)

C
C =NC:N
N
Carbon – Nitrogen ratio (C:N)

C:N
 Ideal Range: 25:1 – 35:1

 What if C:N > 20:1? -> N is depleted by microbes

Carbon – Nitrogen ratio (C:N)

C:N
Ideal Range: 25:1 – 35:1

What if C:N < 20:1? -> N is lost to the atmosphere and causes odors

Elementary analyzer: % by weight of both nutrients

Thermo Scientific
Particle size - porosity

 Particle size

 Porosity

 Airflow in pile (O2)

 Microbial activity
Particle size - porosity

𝑽 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔
Porosity =
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆

Initial Porosity: 45- 60%

Minimum 35%
Moisture content

 Ideal: 45 – 60 % moisture
Moisture content
Moisture content

How can this be avoided?

Moisture content
Moisture content

 Placeholder Animation
 File Name: W3M1 Composting Process
 Format: .mov
 Sequence: 1:23–1:30
Moisture content
Moisture content

Moisture: 65-70% by weight

pH
 pH affects
 Growth of microorganisms
 Bacteria: 6.0—7.5
 Fungi: 5.5—8.0
 Ammonia loss
 > 7.5
 pH increase
 Lime, potassium carbonate,
dairy manure…
 pH reduction
 food processing wastes,
decomposed tree leaves or
pine needles…
Temperature and climate

© SCGH, LLC
Temperature and climate
Environmental impacts

 Foul odours

 Ammonia emission

 Leachate
Environmental impacts – foul odors

 Naturally from feedstocks

 Anaerobic conditions
 Too much moisture
 Too compact piles
 Depletion of oxygen
Environmental impacts – ammonia emissions

 Low C:N
 High T°
 High pH

Richard, 1996
Environmental impacts - leachate

 Can cause eutrophication

 Cause
 Excess of moisture
 Not covered
 Solution? Location is important
(RoWSS)
 roof
 water table
 slope
 soil
Summary

 Important parameters
 Environmental impacts

 Task: Take and upload pics of

composting plants in the forum!
 Bad smells?
 Right mix?
 Good location?
Key readings

 Rothenberger & Zurbrügg, 2006.

Decentralised Composting for
Cities of Low- and Middle-
Income Countries
 Cooperband, 2002. The Art and
Science of Composting
Case Study Composting – Dhaka Bangladesh
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

A.H.Md. Maqsood Sinha and Iftekhar Enayetullah

Waste Concern, Bangladesh
Case study: Large scale composting in Dhaka
© United Nations University
© Bread for the world
© Wikimedia commons
Urban solid waste situation in Bangladesh

Situation in Dhaka:  Dhaka population 17 million

 0.56 kg/cap day of waste  4,200 Tons/day
 70–80 % organic waste
 Collection coverage of ~50 %
Base line: Conventional system of solid waste management

Collection of Transportation Disposal of Impacts

waste of waste waste
 Greenhouse gas
emission
 Environmental pollution
 Land required for
landfills
 Increasing waste
management cost
 Causing health hazards
CDM based compost project (130 tons/day) in Bulta, Dhaka

Source segre- Transportation Composting Impacts

gated collection of waste plant
of waste
 No greenhouse gas
emission
 Saving cost & reducing
pollution
 Reducing need for land
 Creating value from
waste
 Improving soil fertility
A single solution to a multiple problem

Addressing
3 major
problems Growing waste Organic matter Greenhouse gas
problem depletion from soil (methane) emission

Solution
Converting organic waste into compost
The management model of Bhulta composting plant
Source segregated collection and transport
Waste delivery and unloading
Active aeration
Monitoring
Maturation and sieving
Bagging and marketing
Quality control

Complies with GoB Compost

Standards of 2008 Quality Control Laboratory
Packaging and branding
Box method composting for small towns (small & medium scale)
Regional replication

 Replication of Waste Concern

composting model in Asia
Pacific Countries in partnership
with UNESCAP
 Established an international
training centre in Dhaka
supported by Government of
Bangladesh
 Establishing a financing vehicle
to provide equity fund on
waste projects linked with
carbon trading
Key lessons in organic waste management in Bangladesh
• Compost cannot compete with chemical fertilizer. Chemical fertilizer heavily subsidized
Incentives and Subsidies • Need for incentives (fiscal, land, Tax holiday, VAT etc.) for compost.

• Clear Guideline on PPP (with roles and responsibilities).

Clear Guideline on PPP • PPP should be win-win situation for each partners.

• Income from Carbon Trading (CER/VER) an important incentive to promote waste related projects cost
Income from Carbon Trading recovery. It can increase the revenue by 30%.

• Government Standard for Compost and Endorsement by Agriculture Department/Ministry important

Standard for Compost for marketing of compost. Role of Ministry of Agriculture is very crucial.

• Quality of Compost very important for marketing.

Quality Control

• Source Separation as well as proper sorting of waste very important and plays an important role in
Source Segregation of Waste compost quality control.

• Role of the Ministry of Agriculture/Ministry of Environment in developing Field Application/test

Compost Testing Protocol protocol for compost is necessary

• Involvement of private sector specialized in agro business in marketing of compost is needed

Specialized Marketing Company

• Inclusion of informal sector in waste related projects is important

Inclusion of Informal Sector
Case Study Composting – Temesi, Bali, Indonesia
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Dr. Christian Zurbrügg and David Küper

blog.theperfectworldfoundation.org
Temesi
Historical development of the Temesi facility

2004—2007
 Pilot facility 4 tons/day
 400 m2
 Testing and optimizing process
Historical development of the Temesi facility

2007 to date
 Scaling up to 60 tons/day
 Pilot plant converted into
environmental park to educate
visitors
 Investment loan from
international donors
The layout of Temesi composting plant

temesirecycling.com
Solid Waste Situation in Dhaka, Bangladesh

temesirecycling.com
temesirecycling.com
temesirecycling.com
Waste Treatment Process Steps

temesirecycling.com
Key features of the facility

 Ownership transferred to village

foundation
 Employment opportunity for
marginalized women
 High importance given to quality
control
 Carbon credits for methane
avoidance
 Compost sold mainly to tourism
industry
 Extends landfill lifespan by factor 10
temesirecycling.com
temesirecycling.com
Project recognitions

 2006: President of Indonesia

 ADIPURA Award
 2006: IDRC (Canada)
 Asian Center of Excellence
 2008 United Nation
Environment Programme
 No. 1 SHOWCASE Project in
the Asia-Pacific region
 2010: Japan's Ministry of

temesirecycling.com
Environment
 Benchmark project for
Indonesia
temesirecycling.com
The Basics of Anaerobic Digestion of Biowaste
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Christian Zurbrügg
Anaerobic Digestion at a glance

www.sandec.ch
Anaerobic Digestion – producing biogas
Anaerobic Digestion at a glance

 Composting
 with oxygen

 Anaerobic Digestion
 without oxygen
 production of «biogas» by
anaerobic bacteria
Anaerobic Digestion – producing biogas

 Composting  with oxygen

 Anaerobic Digestion  without oxygen
Benefits of Anaerobic Digestion

 A source of renewable energy

 Reduce of greenhouse gas
emissions
 Airproof reactor tanks
(also below ground)
 Reduces solid waste volumes
and avoids disposal space and
costs.
 Recovering value from waste
Drawbacks of Anaerobic digestion versus Composting

 Less stable process

 No heat production in the
reactor
 Technically more complex
Biochemical Processes
Parameters of anaerobic digestion
Feedstock of anaerobic digestion
Characteristics of feedstock

Total Solids (TS) (% of raw waste)

 The total dry matter content
Volatile Solids (VS) (% of TS)
 The biodegradable fraction of the
TS
Characteristics of feedstock
Parameters of anaerobic digestion

Organic Loading Rate (OLR)

 mass of «volatile solids (VS)» per
volume of reactor and time
(kg VS/m3day)

 < 2 kg VS/m3day unstirred

 4-8 kg VS/m3day stirred
Parameters of anaerobic digestion

pH
 ideal range 6.5-7.5 pH
 Risk of acidification with too high
OLR
Parameters of anaerobic digestion

Temperature
o
 Not much activity <15 C
 ideal range is
o
 30-40 C mesophilic
o
 45-60 C thermophilic
Parameters of anaerobic digestion

Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT)

 The time the input material stays
in the reactor (days)
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝐻𝑅𝑇 =
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑦

 Ideal between 10-40 days

Parameters of anaerobic digestion

C/N ratio
 ideal 16 – 25

 Higher C/N reduces gas

production
 Lower C/N cause ammonia
accumulation = inhibitor
Parameters of anaerobic digestion

Particle size
 Ideal is < 5 cm
 Increase surface area of material
 Faster degraded by microorganisms
Summary

 Benefits and drawbacks

 4 stages of the biochemical
process
 Operational Parameters
 Input material
 Organic Loading Rate
 pH
 Temperature
 Hydraulic Retention Time
 C/N ratio
 Particle Size
Anaerobic Digestion Technologies and Operation
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Christian Zurbrügg
Classification of AD Technologies

www.sandec.ch
Classification of AD Technologies
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Fixed-Dome Reactor
Anaerobic Digestion – producing biogas

 Composting  with oxygen

 Anaerobic Digestion  without oxygen
Anaerobic Digestion – producing biogas

 Composting  with oxygen

 Anaerobic Digestion  without oxygen
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Fixed-Dome Reactor
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Floating-Drum Reactor
Anaerobic Digestion – producing biogas

 Composting  with oxygen

 Anaerobic Digestion  without oxygen
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Floating-Drum Reactor
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Tubular Reactor
Wet – Continuous – Mesophilic Tubular Reactor
Summary

 Fixed-Dome Digesters
 Floating Drum Digesters
 Tubular Digesters

 Design and Examples

 Advantages and Disadvantages
Using the Products of Anaerobic Digestion
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Christian Zurbrügg
Making Use of the Products of Anaerobic Digestion
Making Use of the Products of Anaerobic Digestion
Dewatering Biogas

Dewatering
 Water vapor in pipes condensates
 Water collects in pipes at the
lowest point
 Water traps serve to remove water
in pipes
Dewatering Biogas
Storing Biogas
Storing Biogas
Using Biogas
Conditioning of Biogas

 Dewatering
 Desulpherisation
 Ferrous oxides –> iron sulphide
 Water scrubber technology
 CO2 removal
Biogas applications and appliances
Using the Digestate

 Slurry with nutrient content (N, P,

K and trace elements)
 50% ammonium nitrogen.
 Organic load (COD) still 5x higher
than regulations for discharge
into surface water
 Typically not hygienized
Maintaining an Biogas System

No system works without

maintenance and care
 Check regularly for leaks
(pressure test)
 Check and unblock pipes if
required
 Empty water traps
 Observe slurry level in outlet
chamber
 Do not overload
 Desludge the digester (5-10y)
When to choose the anaerobic digestion option

 Well sorted and accessible

organic waste source
 Local skills and experience in
construction and operation
 Need and demand for gas or
small power grid
 Competitive chance to compete
with other energy sources
 Institutional environment
allowing feed-in into grid
 Need and demand for digestate
Summary

 Biogas dewatering and

conditioning
 Biogas storage options
 Gas use and energy content
 Maintaining the system
 Criteria favouring anaerobic
digestion of organic solid waste
Vermicomposting of Biowaste
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Dr. Christian Zurbrügg

What is vermicomposting ?

- What worms?
- Worm lifecycle
- What waste?
- Technologies
- Small & large scale systems
- Examples
- Products
- Vermicompost
- Worms
Which worms are suitable ?

 Eisenia Foetida
- Tiger worm, red wiggler,
manure worm, compost worm
 Lumbricus rubellus
- Red worm
 Eisenia Andrei
- Red tiger
 Perionyx excavatus
- Blue worm
 Eudrilus eugeniae
- African nightcrawler
© RJP Flickr
Animation (full size)
Filename: Eisenia foetida life cycle 02
Format: mov
Sequence: whole animation
Keyword: Fit with Text
What waste is suitable ?

 YES
- Fruit and vegetable waste
- Plant waste
- Bread, rice, staple food
 NO
- Meat or fish waste
- Fats (grease, oil, butter, etc.)
- Dairy product waste
- Salty or vinegary waste
The suitable environment and operating conditions (1)

o
 Temperature : 15 – 30 C
 Moisture: 70 – 85 %
 pH: 7-8
 Aeration
 Shaded (do not like light!)
The suitable environment and operating conditions (2)

 Bulky, carbon rich bedding

 Density: 2.5 kg/m2 - 10 kg/m2
 Feed particle size
- < 5 cm and semi-composted
 Feeding rate
- 50 % of worm mass per day
- Layer of max 10 cm thickness
Worm composting technologies

 Worm bins and beds

- Household level
- Medium scale neighborhood
level
- Large scale facilities
 Worm windrows
 Household size worm bins

Can O Worms

Worm Factory

Worm Factory
 Household size worm bins

Timothy Musson

Timothy Musson
© ICRISAT
©
©
© Nicola Twilley, VermiComposter CF40
© Nicola Twilley, VermiComposter CF40
The products of vermicomposting

 Vermicompost
- Nitrogen 1-2%
 Worm Tea
- Leachate from the worm bins
- High nutritive value
 Worms
- High in protein (animal feed)
- Medicinal properties
Further reading

 Manual of On-Farm Vermi-

composting and Vermiculture.
Glenn Munroe Organic Agriculture
Centre of Canada
 Vermicompost, the story of
organic gold: A review. Sujit
Adhikary. Agricultural Sciences,
(2012)
 Training Material on Composting
and Vermicomposting. Ecosan
Services Foundation (ESF), Seecon
Summary

 Worms and life cycle

 Environmental conditions
suitable for vermicomposting
- Aerated, moist and shaded
- Daily feed: 50 % of worm
weight per day
 Examples of small and large scale
facilities
 Properties of products
- Nutritive value of
vermicompost for agriculture
- Worms as animal feed
Biowaste Processing with Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Dr. Stefan Diener

Introduction
Video sequence:
File name: 15 Larvae feeding
Format: mov
Sequence: 0:18–0:26
ZOOMED IN
(Same as in Trailer)
Black Soldier Flies at a glance

 Lifecycle of BSF
 Rearing the fly
 Treatment process
 Conversion products
Video sequence:
File name: BSF Larvae 01_final
Format: mov
Sequence: whole movie
Video sequence:
File name: BSF Larvae 01_final
Format: mov
Sequence: whole movie
Video sequence:
File name: BSF Larvae 01_final
Format: mov
Sequence: whole movie
The lifecycle of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)
~ 18 mm
Managing the colony

Fly rearing
Managing the colony

Egg laying Egg packages

Photo by Samuel Blyth

Treatment process

Preparing biowaste Larvae feeding on biowaste

 www.thebiopod.com
Examples of on-site systems

www.blacksoldierflyfarming.com
Examples of large scale facilities

Enterra JM Green
Protix
Canada China
The Netherlands

Enviroflight
USA

AgriProtein
South Africa
The products

Residue Larvae
 Similar to  40% Protein
vermicompost  30% Fat
Increasing price for fishmeal

www.indexmundi.com
Summary

 Lifecycle of BSF
 80% waste reduction
 20% feed coversion ratio
 Larvae with 40% protein & 30% fat
 Larvae a substitute for fishmeal in
animal feed
 Backyard and large scale facilities
Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Introduction

 Pyrolysis

 Gasification

 Combustion
What is a thermochemical conversion?

 Intermidiaries
Decomposition
BIOMASS Depolymerization
 Simplest constituents
(CO2, H2O)
Other parameters
 Oxygen supply
 Use of catalysts
High Temperature  Time
(200 – 1500°C)
 Pressure
Pyrolysis, Gasification and Combustion
 Drying Pyrolysis Gasification Combustion
Torrefaction

Temperature 100°C 300 - 600°C >290°C >750°C >700°C

Air, O2 - No (λ = 0) λ=0 λ = 0.2 – 0.5 Yes (λ = 1)
- 1 s (f.p.) 10-60 sec. – min. -
Retention time Days (s.p) mins
O2 supplied
λ=
O2 required for complete combustion + Ashes

Char Bio-oil Gas Heat

Slow pyrolysis 35% 30% 35%

Fast pyrolysis 12% 75% 13%

Torrefaction 80% 0% 20%

Gasification 10% 5% 85%

Pyrolysis, Gasification and combustion
Hydrogen
H

CH4

C2H4 H2O

C O
CO CO2
Carbon Oxygen
Terminoly: Char vs Charcoal vs Biochar
Terminoly: Char vs Charcoal vs Biochar

Thermal Decomp.

Char (25-28 MJ/kg)

BIOMASS Briquettes (22-29 MJ/kg) Briquetting

Biochar
Terra Petra
Wood
Charcoal
(31-33 MJ/kg)
Movie: char video
Sequence: as long as I need for the sentence wirtten in notes
Final products from biomass
Final products from biomass

Primary
products
Char Bio-oil Gas Heat

Conversion Briquetting Turbine

Engine
Boiler

Biofuels
Market & Electricity Heat
Chemicals
Charcoal Briquettes Biochar
Thermochemical processes in developing countries
Charcoal production in the world

Country Mton/yr
Brazil 9.9
Thailand 3.9
Ethiopia 3.2
Tanzania 2.5
India 1.7
DCR 1.7
Charring process
Charring process – intramolecular level

 Dehydration Loss of Hydrogen

H:C
 Deoxygenation Loss of Oxygen
O:C
Van Krevelen diagram
2.0

1.8 Biomass

1.6
Peat
1.4
Lignite
1.2
H/C atomic ratio

Coal
1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4 Anthracite
0.2

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 O/C atomic
0.5 ratio 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Impact of temperature
Impact of temperature

 Volatile Matter (VM)

 < 40%

 Facilitates ignition

 Noxious fumes when burnt

Input requirements

 Depend on final use

 Moisture content <10%

 High fixed carbon

 Low ash content

Smoke as indicator

White — drying Yellow — pyrolysis Blue — combustion

D. Sweeney (D-Lab)

D. Sweeney (D-Lab)

D. Sweeney (D-Lab)
Reactor types in developing countries

FAO, 2008
FAO, 1996

Ephata, 2014
Full screen movie.
• Movie: 00048
• Sequence: 1.17 – 1.26
• Movie: 00054
• Sequence: 0.16 – 0.20
Combustion – open burning
Combustion – open burning
Summary of the module
Key readings

 Lohri, Sweeney, Rajabu, 2015.

Carbonazing urban biowaste for
low-cost char production in
developing countries
Key messages Week 3
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Dr. Christian Zurbrügg & Imanol Zabaleta

Week 3: Organic waste treatment technologies
Composting Anaerobic Digestion

Thermoche.
Vermicomposting BSF
Conversion
Composting: the process
Composting: operational parameters

 Carbon – Nitrogen ratio (C:N)

 Particle size - Porosity
 Moisture content
 pH
 Temperature and climate
Composting: technologies

Windrow Composting Passively Aerated Windrows

Bin Composting

Forced Aerated Windrows In-Vessel Composting

Composting: comparison of technologies

Investment Maintenance Space Time Labor

Windrow Composting • • ••••• ••• •••••

Passively Aerated W. •• •• ••••• ••• ••

Forced Aerated W. •••• •••• •••• • ••

In-Vessel Composting ••••• ••••• ••• • ••

Bin Composting ••• •• ••• ••••• ••

Composting: study cases

temesirecycling.com
Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digestion: the process

Animation
Filename: Biochemical Process AD 01
Format: mov
Sequence: entire lentgh
Keywords: Match wih spoken text
Anaerobic digestion: operational parameters

 Feedstock (TS, VS)

 Organic Loading Rate (OLR)
 pH
 Temperature
 Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT)
 C:N
 Particle size
Anaerobic digestion: technologies

Fixed Dome Reactor Floating Drum Reactor Tubular Reactor

Anaerobic digestion: managing biogas & selection criteria

 Accessible organic waste

 Local skills
 Demand for gas & digestate
 Competitive chance
 Insititutional support
© RJP Flickr
Vermicomposting conditions

 Environmental conditions
suitable for vermicomposting
- Aerated
- Moist
- Shaded
- Daily feed: 50 % of worm
weight per day
©
The products of vermicomposting

 Vermicompost
- Nitrogen 1-2%
 Worm Tea
- Leachate from the worm bins
- High nutritive value
 Worms
- High in protein (animal feed)
- Medicinal properties
Video sequence:
File name: 15 Larvae feeding
Format: mov
Sequence: 0:18–0:26
ZOOMED IN
(Same as in Trailer)
Managing the colony and treatment process

Egg packages Larvae feeding on biowaste

The BSF products

Residue Larvae
 Similar to  40% Protein
vermicompost  30% Fat
Determining moisture content of biowaste mixtures
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Introduction
Learning objectives

 Calculate
− moisture content (MC) with the
oven drying method
− MC of a mix of 2 biowastes
− amounts of two biowastes
required to get a desired MC
 Apply the hand squeeze test
Method to calculate moisture content

 Thermogravimetric method
− Oven drying
Location for analysis
 Location for analysis

Shannon E Thomas www.toicon.com (CC BY 4.0)

Materials required

 Oven - 105°C (221°F) for 24h

 Scale (0.01 g accuracy resolution)
 Pen and paper
 Large cutting board
 Knife or shredder
 At least 3 sampling containers per
biowaste
− Marked
− Heat-proof
− Weighed
 At least 3 large bowls
 Desiccator
 Protective equipment (gloves, mask
and goggles)
Materials required
Materials required

 With big amounts of waste:

− Take sample of 5 – 10 kg
− Represent the heterogenity
Sample preparation – heterogeneous waste

1. Chop waste
2. Mix waste
3. Take 4 – 5 samples (~100 g)
4. Chop and mix samples
5. Take 3 samples (~25 g)
Sample preparation – homogeneous waste

1. Mix waste
2. Take 4 – 5 samples (~100 g)
3. Mix samples
4. Take 3 samples (~25 g)
Total wet weight
Drying in oven

 Temp: 105°C (221 °F)

 Duration: 24 h
Total dry weight
Calculating moisture content

- Moisture Content -

The weight of water per unit of weight of a material (%)

Calculating moisture content

Weights (g) Moisture

Sample Total Wet Wet Total Dry Dry content
Container (%)
(sample + container) sample (sample + container) sample
Food waste 1 31.79 5.44 26.35 8.66 3.22
Food waste 2 30.05 5.43 24.62 10.28 4.85
Food waste 3 32.65 5.45 27.20 8.19 2.74
Sawdust 1 26.87 5.44 21.43 24.73 19.29
Sawdust 2 27.12 5.43 21.69 24.55 19.12
Sawdust 3 28.44 5.44 23.00 25.89 20.45

 𝑾𝑾𝑾𝑾𝑾𝑾 𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘 = 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤

 𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑫 𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘 = 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤

Calculating moisture content

Weights (g) Moisture

Sample Total Wet Wet Total Dry Dry content
Container (%)
(sample + container) sample (sample + container) sample
Food waste 1 31.79 5.44 26.35 8.66 3.22 87.8
Food waste 2 30.05 5.43 24.62 10.28 4.85 80.3 86.0%
Food waste 3 32.65 5.45 27.20 8.19 2.74 89.9
Sawdust 1 26.87 5.44 21.43 24.73 19.29 10.0
Sawdust 2 27.12 5.43 21.69 24.55 19.12 11.8 11.0%
Sawdust 3 28.44 5.44 23.00 25.89 20.45 11.1

𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤−𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤

 𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴𝑴 𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 = � 100
𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤
Calculating moisture content - triplicates

Weights (g) Moisture

Sample Total Wet Wet Total Dry Dry content
Container (%)
(sample + container) sample (sample + container) sample
Food waste 1 31.79 5.44 26.35 8.66 3.22 87.8
30.05 88.9%

X
Food waste 2 5.43 24.62 18.28 12.85 47.8
Food waste 3 32.65 5.45 27.20 8.19 2.74 89.9
Calculating moisture content of a mix
Calculating moisture content of a mix

𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 � 𝑀𝑀.𝐶𝐶.𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 +𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 � 𝑀𝑀.𝐶𝐶.𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠

 𝑀𝑀. 𝐶𝐶. 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = � 100
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 +𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠

5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 � 0.86 +5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 � 0.11

 𝑀𝑀. 𝐶𝐶. 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = � 100 = 48.5%
5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 +5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘

 𝑀𝑀. 𝐶𝐶. 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐: 55 – 75%

Aiming at the right moisture content
Recalculate amounts aiming at a specific moisture content

5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 � 0.86 +𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨 𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺 ? � 0.11

 𝑀𝑀. 𝐶𝐶. 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = � 100 = 65%
5 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 +𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨 𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺𝑺 ?
Hand squeeze test
Hand squeeze test

Brewer et al. (2013)

Observation % Moisture

Material is crumbly, doesn’t stick together, feels dusty, glove is dry 42 or less

Material feels mostly dry but has a hint of moisture in it 42 – 47%

Material feels tacky 47 – 52%

Material feels moist 52 – 58%

Material sticks together, glove glistens or has a wet sheen 58 – 63%

Squeezing releases one to two drops of water 63 – 68%

Squeezing releases many drops of water 68 – 73%

Squeezing releases a stream of water or material has a pudding texture >73

Summary

 Calculate
− moisture content (MC) with the
oven drying method
− MC of a mix of 2 biowastes
− amounts of two biowastes
required to get a desired MC
 Apply the hand squeeze test
Determining C:N ratio of biowaste mixtures
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Imanol Zabaleta
Learning objectives

 How to determine the C:N ratio

of a biowaste
 How to calculate the C:N ratio of
mixed biowaste
Methods to determine C:N ratio – Elementary analyser

Thermo Scientific
−
Methods to determine C:N ratio – Database

 Energy Research Centre of the

Netherlands

 Search online for the terms:

“Phyllis2 - Database for biomass
and waste”

 Or enter:
https://www.ecn.nl/phyllis2/
Methods to determine C:N ratio – Database
Methods to determine C:N ratio – rough approximation

 Carbon rich materials C:N > 20

 Nitrogen rich materials C:N < 20

Calculating C:N of biowaste mixtures
Calculating C:N of biowaste mixtures

 Input data:
− Mass of C and N
− Concentration (dry basis)
Calculating C:N of biowaste mixtures

Biowaste Moisture (%) Masswb %Carbondb %Nitrogendb

1 W1 Q1 C1 N1
2 W2 Q2 C2 N2
3 W3 Q3 C3 N3
… … … … …
db: dry basis; wb: wet basis

𝑀𝑀 = 𝑄𝑄 � 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇
𝑀𝑀 = 𝑄𝑄 � (100 − 𝑊𝑊)
𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 = 100 − 𝑊𝑊
Calculating C:N of biowaste mixtures

Biowaste Moisture (%) Masswb %Carbondb %Nitrogendb C:N Ratio

1 W1 Q1 C1 N1 C1: N1
2 W2 Q2 C2 N2 C2: N2
3 W3 Q3 C3 N3 C3:N3
… … … … … …
db: dry basis; wb: wet basis

𝑀𝑀1 � 𝐶𝐶1 + 𝑀𝑀2 � 𝐶𝐶2 + 𝑀𝑀3 � 𝐶𝐶3 + ⋯

𝐶𝐶: 𝑁𝑁 =
𝑀𝑀1 � 𝑁𝑁1 + 𝑀𝑀2 � 𝑁𝑁2 + 𝑀𝑀3 � 𝑁𝑁3 + ⋯
Tip 1: calculating C or N content

𝐶𝐶
= 𝐶𝐶: 𝑁𝑁
𝑁𝑁
𝐶𝐶 % 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 𝐶𝐶: 𝑁𝑁 ∗ 𝑁𝑁(% 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚)

𝐶𝐶 (% 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚)
𝑁𝑁 % 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 =
𝐶𝐶: 𝑁𝑁
Tip: Estimating C content through volatile solids

C%db ?
 VS% = TS% - Ash%

Adams et al. (1951):

 C%db = (% VS) / 1.8

C%db
C:N
N%db
Summary

 How to determine the C:N ratio

of a biowaste
− Elemental analyser
− Database
− Rough approximation

 How to calculate the C:N ratio of

mixed biowaste
Calculating the size of an anaerobic reactor
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Christian Zurbrügg
EXAMPLE: A fixed-dome reactor for a school

Situation
• Boarding school with 250 students
and 50 staff in a tropical climate
• 0.2 kg/cap day (wet weight)
biowaste with
• TS is 20% and VS is estimated at
80% of TS
• Gas to be used in canteen
• Fixed-dome reactor below ground
• Construction and operation skills
available
EXAMPLE: A fixed-dome reactor for a school
Situation
• Boarding school with 250 students and 50 staff in a tropical climate
• 0.2 kg/cap day (wet weight) biowaste with
• TS is 20% and VS is estimated at 80% of TS
• Gas to be used in canteen
• Fixed-dome reactor below ground
• Construction and operation skills available
 /

/
Constructing an Anaerobic Fixed Dome Digester
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Godlove Ngoda (BORDA) & Imanol Zabaleta

Learning objectives

1. Calculating dimensions
2. Digging hole
3. Setting the conical foundation
4. Building dome
5. Ensuring air and water tightness
6. Constructing the inlet
7. Constructing the outlet
8. Backfilling with soil
6. Construction of the Inlet
Introduction

 BORDA (NGO)
Bremen Overseas Research and
Development Association
− Godlove Ngoda, Head of Design
Digester in Dar es Salaam

Unit: mm
1. Calculating Dimensions of the Dome
2. Digging the hole
Construction of the Dome - 2. Digging the hole
3. Conical foundation
3. Conical foundation
4. Constructing the dome

 Concrete or clay bricks

− 4’000 – 4’300 bricks
 Cement mortar
− 6.5 tons
 Water proof cement
− 130 kg
 Sand
− 20 m3
 Hooks to hang the bricks

 Radius stick or a string

4. Building the dome
5. Ensuring the air & water tightness of dome

 7 layers of plaster with

waterproof additives
6. Construction of the Inlet
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
 Sanitation Interfaces
Inlet Types

 Inlet Chambers
− Chopped biowaste
− Manual filling
 Sanitation Interfaces
 Settling tanks
− Feacal sludge
Inlet - Construction hints

1. Inlet higher than outlet

Inlet - Construction hints
Inlet - Construction hints

1. Inlet higher than outlet

2. Closing lid
3. Mesh to control particle size
7. Construction of the Outlet
Desludging
8. Backfilling with Soil
Summary

1. Calculating dimensions
2. Digging hole
3. Setting the conical foundation
4. Building dome
5. Ensuring air and water tightness
6. Constructing the inlet
7. Constructing the outlet
8. Backfilling with soil
Key readings

 Vögeli et al., 2014. Anaerobic

digestion of biowaste in developing
countries. Practical information and
case studies.
 Tilley et al., 2014. Compendium of
Sanitation Systems and Technologies
 Strande et al., 2014. Faecal sludge
management. System approach for
implementation and operation
Operating a Black Soldier Fly waste treatment facility
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Bram Dortmans
Further information

 Black Soldier Fly Biowaste

Processing - A Step-by-Step Guide

 Social media:
− Sandec channel on YouTube
− Facebook-group «All about BSF»