Monitoring and evaluation of prevention activities regarding household organics waste from insular communities

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production Vol. 172; pp. 3567 - 3577
• Main Authors: Zorpas, Antonis A., Lasaridi, Katia, Pociovalisteanu, Diana Mihaela, Loizia, Pantelitsa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 20.01.2018
• Subjects: Circular economy; Food waste; Household composting; Prevention; Social attitude; Social behaviour; Food waste; Prevention; Social attitude; Circular economy; Social behaviour; Household composting
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.03.155

A key component of waste materials, organic fractions such as food waste and green waste generating from households, can produce a high quality natural fertilizer for in-situ home use. Using a compositional analysis technique, it was indicated that 20% w/w where edible and inedible food wastes and 26% w/w were green, yard waste. From those a total percentage, up to 40% w/w could be used for compost production preventing in that way the amount of the total waste that are dump into a landfill (up to 6000 t/y), saving more than 600 × 103 €/y. In order to evaluate and monitor the prevention activities (focuses on organic wastes), 200 houses were selected. Through the survey audit it was found that the prevention activities (home composting, public awareness event, preparing food from leftovers) could retain 50% w/w of edible food waste as well as 75% w/w of green and food waste (inedible); producing a high-quality home compost with C/N to be 23.9, Germination Index up to 121, C/P up to 18.4, organic mater 67.8%, TOC 37.2%, and without any pathogen microorganism. •Household compost monitoring and evaluation regarding food waste prevention.•Measuring environmental and social behaviour regarding waste prevention activities.•Measuring waste prevention and citizens behaviour.•Household composting evaluation and monitoring.