Ms Savita Hiremath, a member of SWMRT, spoke about the background of composting, the different types of composting which can be done inside Apartment Complexes and the right methods to do it. She presented examples of several forward-thinking apartment complexes like Brigade Regency, one the first in Bangalore to do composting in-house.

1. LARGE-SCALE
COMPOSTING

4. WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
● It’s Nature’s algorithm to keep
Planet Earth spinning.
The biological process of
breaking up of organic waste
such as food & animal waste,
manure, leaves, grass
trimmings, paper, worms,
coffee grounds, etc.,
into an extremely nutritious,
humus-like substance by
various micro-organisms
including bacteria, fungi and
actinomycetes in the presence
of oxygen.

5. THERE ARE TWO WAYS
1. AEROBIC COMPOSTING – Aerobes work in the
presence of oxygen/air.
2. ANAEROBIC DIGESTION – Anaerobes work in the
absence of oxygen/air.
But, the second one is ‘digestion’, not composting.
Only when the digested pickle comes in contact
with air, composting happens. Till then, it’s not
compost. It's just pickle. Ex: Bokashi.

6. IN A CONTROLLED ZONE
● The dynamics of this natural process change
drastically when moved into a controlled environment
like homes, apartments & gated communities.
Standardisation becomes important.
● You have to add accelerators to speed up the process
and control odour, rodents, flies, etc.
● Cost depends on the solution you choose. Else, you
can produce good compost at extremely low cost also.

7. THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS
● Odour
● Moisture – High or low.
INTERCONNECTED.
Odour is a sign that composting is not happening
properly. If there is more moisture, air supply is
affected. Then anaerobes multiply & trigger foul
odour issues. Add dry leaves or cocopeat to fix the
issue.
If the moisture is low, composting halts as the microbes
need sufficient moisture to keep multiplying and
working on the substrate.

8. BIOGAS, AN EASY ANAEROBIC METHOD

9. IT ALL BEGINS
WITH
SEGREGATION
AT SOURCE.
It's the ABC of
solid waste
management.

12. ●The scene—as far as composting
solutions is concerned—has changed
significantly since 2014-15. Several
efficient solutions have hit the market
and have been functioning quite well.
COMMUNITY COMPOSTING

13. ● Solutions tackle space & budget constraints
effectively.
● Some take less than a month while others
may need two months of turnaround period.
● Some fit in the basement, on the terrace,
open space or a well-aerated room.
● At Rs 100 one-time outgo per household in
100-unit-strong community or costlier ones.

14. PLATFORM COMPOSTING

15. PLATFORM COMPOSTING
Good for communities with large gardens as most of
them send out garden waste for landfilling.
● Almost zero-cost solution to process all garden waste.
● Minimal effort and outgo (only cowdung).
● Space needed is 6ftx6ft for one pile. (Not considering
space for staff to do the work).
● The length can be more but the width has to be only 4
ft to ensure that the workers can reach the centre
portion of the piles.
● Can be in the open, but under a tree will help more.

16. EcoDigester, a bio-meth solution

17. ECODIGESTER is suitable for medium-to-large
communities. Available in different capacities. For hotels,
schools, canteens, restaurants or any such establishments
where biogas gets used up.
● Space for a Digester that takes in 25 kgs (50 houses,
approx) is around 5ftx5ft. Extra space on terrace to place
the biogas balloon. Needs a meshed enclosure to keep off
rodents.
● Can be placed anywhere in a windy spot. If no natural
wind movement, then the stirrer needs to be power-
driven. Placing it closer to kitchen avoids heavy plumbing
work.
● Almost zero maintenance cost and money recovered in a
few years (depends on the type & quantity of the feedstock
that goes in).

18. BYOBIN

19. BYOBINS
● Good for small-to-medium sized communities (up
to 100 houses).
● They work in pair. Rain-proof. Rodent-proof. One
pair is enough for up to 20 houses.
● Can fit in anywhere—terrace, basement (with good
air circulation), out in the garden.
● 1 pair needs 4 ft x 6 ft area. Long-lasting.
Drawback: Cannot handle very large quantities.

20. UP’GRADE

21. UP’GRADE
● Suitable for small-to-medium communities (up to
200-250 houses).
● Needs a rain-proof, rodent-proof room.
● Low on capex. Composting done in milk crates.
● Can be done in basement if there’s a spot with very
good air circulation.
Drawback: Space-intensive. Needs at least 12ftx12ft for
200 houses.

22. SUDH-LABH AEROBIC DIGESTER

23. SHUDH-LABH AEROBIC DIGESTER
● Small-medium-big communities.
● One digester is enough for up to 100 houses.
● Fits in corners. 6ftx6ft enough for 100 homes.
● Needs a roof to prevent rainwater splashing.
Essentials: Needs roofing.

24. MARIGOLD SOLAR COMPOSTER

25. MARIGOLD
● Aesthetically designed. Uses sunlight to process
kitchen rejects.
● Fits in the open areas, on the terrace. Not in shaded
areas/basements.
● Rain-proof, rodent-proof.
● Available in 3-4 capacities.
● Good for communities of all sizes.
● Still needs some procedural modifications.
Drawback: Cannot handle very large quantities.

26. SHUDH-LABH BARREL DIGESTER

27. BARREL DIGESTER
● A low-cost solution from Shudh-Labh.
● Fits in almost anywhere if there isn’t heavy rainwater
splashing.
● Good for parking/basement and open areas with a
roof.
● Easily portable. Hence, can be spread all over the
garden in pairs/as required.
● Good for small-to-medium communities. Even large
ones are going for it.

28. CEMENT TANK METHOD – 1

29. ● Run by Saahas, 10 such cement tanks handle 800-900
kgs of waste at once.
● The size: 5 ft x 3 ft x 2.5 ft (L x W x H).
● A chopper & a shredder work in pair to shred dry
garden leaves & food waste.
● All the 10 outlets are connected to a drain which takes
the leachate out of the composting area and then gets
connected to a series of water treatment channels.
● It’s important to *treat* the leachate & not let it out
directly to the drains. It’s not a stabilised liquid.
Drawback: Location-specific/not in basements.
Works well only if there’s a huge inflow of dry leaves
& heavy-duty shredders. High capex.

30. CEMENT TANK METHOD - 2

32. ● 3ft H* 5ft B* 7ft L. The capacity of each tank: 750 kgs.
● 3 trays filled with charcoal to absorb gases & odour.
● Diffuser network with PVC pipes to circulate air from
bottom-up.
● A false mesh floor. Air-blower to remove odour.
● Process is passive. Not much human intervention
other than air-blowing & floor washing. Microbes
added.
● 200 sqft to build 3 such tanks.
Drawback: Demands perfect masonry work. Leachate
loss.

33. STEEL BINS: A FIT FOR TERRACES

34. ● 1st set dimensions: 2f (w) x 4ft (L) x 2ft (H).
● Each bin takes in one day’s shredded kitchen waste
mixed with dry leaves.
● Good design! The bins have enough holes on all sides
to let the air in & are mobile. The lid is easy to operate
with handles on two ends. The bottom has a hole
which lets out leachate which is collected in a plastic
tray.
● 2nd set dimension: 2ft (w) x 4ft (L) x 1ft (H). They are
meant to process the 7-day-old semi-compost.
● HEAT: Temps go beyond 60-70 deg.C on hot days.
Pathogens perish.
Drawback: Not rain-proof.

35. ZERO-COST RAINBOW DRIVE METHOD

37. ● Mimics the natural composting process. Very low
capex & opex. Not labour-intensive.
● Wet waste sprinkled with sawdust to control moisture
& fruit flies.
● First a layer of dry leaves and then 8-10 inches of
kitchen waste. Always topped off with dry leaves.
● A gunny cloth is wrapped around the steel mesh ring
to contain moisture and prevent spilling.
Drawback: Needs space to store half-done compost
for maturing. Unless kept clean, aesthetics can be a
problem. Dry leaves are crucial.

38. ORBIN – SOLO

39. ● Well-designed, compact and portable.
● One unit takes up 3ftx3ft of space.
● Composting process involves cocopeat-based
inoculant.
● The total capacity is 80 kgs or 110 liters. One can add
up to 1.5-2 kgs of fresh kitchen waste per day.
● Continuous composting. No leachate loss.
● No odour or rodent issues.
Drawback: Scalability is possible. Buy multiple units
and place them in a cluster. But not possible beyond a
point.

40. LEAF COMPOSTER

41. ● A good solution for composting dry leaves fallen on
the roads or from gardens in large communities.
● Simple structure, easily replicable and scalable.
● Continuous composting using either cow dung or lab-
produced accelerators, or both. Compost can be
harvested through the hatches at the bottom.
● Can add 20% of cooked rejects also.
● Easily portable. Low cost. Can be fabricated locally.
Drawback: Structural integrity can suffer due to
continuous top-ups. Better go for very strong, high-
guage stainless steel to avoid rusting.

42. AADITI

43. ● Inside an apartment or in a lane, Aaditi fits right in.
● Easily collapsible, portable aerobic composting
structure.
● Easy to assemble and consume less space.
● Made out of steel mesh. Rodent-proof.
● Available in 3 sizes for less than 20 homes to 70
homes.
● Works on cocopeat-based inoculant.
● Harvesting process made easy with an opening in the
front.

44. ORBIN STAX

45. ● Vertical space management.
● Continuous flow system.
● Unique modular structure that allows stacking of
extra waste collectors depending on the quantity of
waste to be handled.
● Cocopeat-based inoculant.
● Good aeration.
● No smell or rodents.
● Good quality compost in three weeks.

46. VERMICOMPOSTING The most
nutrient-rich
compost.
Composting
done using
earthworms.
Simple
cement tanks
with a mesh
lid.
Difficult to
handle cooked
waste on a
large-scale.

48. WHICH METHOD/MACHINE TO AVOID
● No machine on this planet can make compost in
24 or 48 or 72 hours. Takes a minimum of 3 weeks.
● Don’t fall for fake/out-of-the-world claims: “24-
hour fully automatic composting machines”, etc.
● What comes out is not compost, but burnt carbon
which can pollute air, water & soil.
NOT ALL THAT IS BLACK IS COMPOST!

49. Composting is mainly for reducing
ecological/carbon footprint. Hence...
●Should not be power- or water-intensive.
●Should not be process- & labour-intensive.
●A worthy end product: nutrient-rich
compost.
POINTS TO PONDER

50. COSTLIER SOLUTIONS WORK BETTER?
● Not necessarily.
● There are solutions that cost very little money, while
others cost lakhs of rupees. But the compost that
comes out is all the same.
● The quality of the compost depends on the
ingredients used and the process followed.
● It’s difficult to bring out the same quality of compost
each time. Compost is a creature of circumstances.

51. SOME MYTHS ABOUT COMPOSTING
● It stinks!
NO, IT DOES
NOT.
● It is difficult.
Not all can
do it.
NO, IT IS EASY.
EVERYONE
CAN DO IT.

52. ● General
precautions over
hygiene inside
compost unit is a
must.
● But all those who
compost aren’t
known to fall sick
more often than
who don’t.
PATHOGENS & DISEASES

53. WHAT NOT TO DO
● Drying the compost in the hot sun.
● Excessive sieving.

55. ●All the prominent methods have been
documented in ENDLESSLY GREEN
(www.savitahiremath.com).
It’s an open and free source of
information.

56. ●For an end-to-end SWM consultancy
that starts from segregation and
composting and goes on to achieve a
completely organic garden in your
community, please write to:
endlesslygreen360@gmail.com.