Composting of Municipal Solid Waste and its Components
Frederick C. Miller
Abstract
In general, composting proceeds through a successional dominance of nonactinomycete bacteria, followed by actinomycetes, then fungi; the simplest substrates are metabolized quickly, while substrates which are more complex or difficult to metabolize remain. Processing goals of solid waste composting include the reduction of putrescible materials, pathogen reduction, reduction of weight and volume, reduction of existing or potential odors, and a reduction in moisture content. Composting has become a useful treatment process for almost every kind of biodegradable waste. In the US in 1988 there were eight operating Municipal solid waste (MSW) composting facilities, 75 MSW projects under development, and perhaps 150 sewage sludge composting facilities operational or planned. Synecological and autoecological approaches are useful in the investigation of composting ecosystems. A common reason for failures in MSW composting has been a lack of a microbially based processing strategy and a configuration to support that strategy.