Interest in small scale composting systems is currently growing, and this in turn raises the question of whether the compostable bags are as suitable as in industrial composting facilities. In this work the physical degradation percentage of composta...
Composting has been demonstrated to be a sustainable technology for treating organic wastes. The process is based on the microbial decomposition of organic matter under aerobic conditions to obtain compost: An organic amendment that can be safely use...
The consequence of the current economic development model is the generation of large amounts of waste and energy losses. One way to change this negative trend is a more rational use of raw materials reducing the amount of generated wastes. Biowaste,...
In order to make bioplastics accessible for a wider spectrum of applications, ready-to-use plastic material formulations should be available with tailored properties. Ideally, these kinds of materials should also be “home-compostable” to...
Food waste management is a critical environmental challenge, particularly when organic waste ends up in landfills. This study focuses on the Romanian household food model to understand the composition of food waste and the effectiveness of homemade c...
Manufacturers of technical polymers must increasingly consider the degradability of their products due to the growing public interest in topics such as greenhouse gas emissions and microplastic pollution. Biobased polymers are part of the solution, b...
Biobased plastics are fully or partially made from biological resources but are not necessarily biodegradable or compostable. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA), one of the most diffused bioplastics, is compostable in industrial environments, but improving deg...
The majority of municipal solid waste in Thailand is organic waste including food and garden waste. Improper waste management has caused negative impacts on the environment. This study aimed to find a hypothetical municipal organic waste management s...
The transition to a circular economy requires effective food waste (FW) collection and recycling systems. This study aims to evaluate general public attitudes, behaviours, and systemic challenges related to FW sorting in Latvia, in light of the recen...
Home composting is judged as an effective municipal waste management option in which household contribution is essential, but it has a low adoption. The objectives of the study were to determine the factors that influence home composting intention an...
This study develops highly flexible, biodegradable polymer blends using bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing. A Design of Experiment (DoE) approach optimized blend compositions by varying cryst...
Home-compostable, biobased films were developed by blending poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA). Among the formulations, the PLA/PBSA 60/40 blend demonstrated strong potential for industrial film production due to...
While bio-based but chemically synthesized polymers such as polylactic acid require industrial conditions for biodegradation, protein-based materials are home compostable and show high potential for disposable products that are not collected. However...
In recent years biodegradable plastic films have been increasingly used for various purposes, most often as grocery bags and for collecting bio-waste. Typically, the biodegradation of these films should take place in industrial compost facilities whe...
The recycling of organic waste is a key element of the circular economy, particularly in response to the increasing generation of biodegradable residues. Composting provides a sustainable solution that supports waste management while improving soil f...
Garden waste arising from private households represents a major component of the biodegradable municipal waste stream. To design effective waste valorisation schemes, detailed information about garden waste is a prerequisite. While the biochemical co...
Composting is a sustainable way of transforming organic waste into valuable organic fertilizers which have the potential to act as soil conditioners by controlling various biological processes. The prime objective of the current study was to determin...
Determining the amount of biowaste generated, separated, and recycled at source in households (BHrecycled) is crucial for assessing its potential inclusion in the total mass of waste prepared for reuse and recycling on the country level. Although the...
The Takakura technique converts food waste into compost. This project explored the potential use of composting in offices and workplaces. The method involves using small boxes containing a fermentation substrate where food waste is added. Two Takakur...
The use and quality analysis of household compost have become very important issues in recent years due to the increasing interest in local food production and safe, self-produced food. The phenomenon was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic...
A simple and functional home composting process was investigated. This study consisted of three experiments altering the proportion of manure and sawdust, the former used as a nutrient and the latter as a desiccant. The mass proportions of manure&nda...
Composting has become a preferable option to treat organic wastes to obtain a final stable sanitized product that can be used as an organic amendment. From home composting to big municipal waste treatment plants, composting is one of the few technolo...
The aim of the present work is to evaluate the rate and mechanisms of the aerobic biodegradation of biopolymer blends under controlled composting conditions using the CO2 evolution respirometric method. The biopolymer blends of poly (butylene adipate...
Increasing quantities of waste from using conventional plastic in agriculture and horticulture is one of the most pressing issues nowadays. Conventional plastic accessories (e.g., mulching films, clips, pots, strings, etc.) are typically fossil-deriv...
One of the principles of the circular economy requires the effective recycling of organic waste, especially since its volume is increasing from year to year. Therefore, one of the best solutions to solve this problem is the composting of organic wast...
The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a global challenge of a complex nature. The organic fraction of rapidly degrading MSW, which can be recycled via composting provided it is segregated at the source, is an incipient or non-existent prac...
Sustainable waste management is essential for environmental protection and climate change mitigation. In mainland Portugal, 59% of municipal waste was sent to landfills in 2023, while only 8% underwent organic valorization. Domestic composting offers...
A very important issue in urban agglomerations is the proper management of green waste while reducing its negative impact on the environment. One potential solution is the utilization of green biomass—originating from the maintenance of parks,...
A home electrical composter has arisen as a popular tool to expedite the lengthy composting process. It has been conveniently selected as a compost producer in kitchen households and is especially favoured in urbanized settings. The generated compost...
Municipal solid waste management is considered one of the major environmental challenges. Organic waste, especially food waste, usually accounts for over 50 wt% of municipal solid waste, yet, in most countries, it is the least recovered material. Dec...
The increasing generation of natural fiber textile waste highlights the urgent need for sustainable management strategies. This study investigated the biodegradation of textiles made from viscose, cotton, and linen under controlled composting and ver...
Polylactic acid (PLA) remains poorly mineralized under mesophilic conditions relevant to home and decentralized composting. This study assessed whether bioaugmentation with Amycolatopsis orientalis, protein-based biostimulation with skimmed milk powd...
Following the industrial revolution, major economic and populational growth took place, and, therefore, solid waste generation increased exponentially. Nowadays, waste management still generates major impacts because the current wide offer of waste m...
1 May 2020
The amount of biowaste generated by university canteens (BWUC) in the faculties of the University of A Coruña (UDC) varies between 6 and 100 kg/day. In addition, the gardening services of the campus generate even higher amounts of garden waste...
This work reports a study of the proton-binding capacity of biopolymers obtained from different materials supplied by a municipal biowaste treatment plant located in Northern Italy. One material was the anaerobic fermentation digestate of the urban w...
This study provides insight into the accelerated hydrolysis of polyester PLA through the addition of phosphites based on pentaerythritol. To control hydrolysis and ensure processing stability, different types of phosphites and combinations of phosphi...
The extensive production and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) over recent decades have resulted in their pervasive distribution in environmental compartments worldwide. PFAS concentrations in soil and biota near fluorochemical manufa...
A significant issue is reducing the amount of biological waste that is disposed of in landfills, particularly in high-density residential areas. The Wastes Framework Directive (98/2008), in particular, sets forward the legal requirements for source s...
14 August 2025
The use of untreated livestock manure in urban agriculture sustains soil fertility but risks disseminating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in resource-limited settings. This study characterized antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) prevalence across man...
26 February 2022
We aim to identify influences on UK citizens’ household food waste recycling as a basis for designing strategies to increase household food waste collection rates via local services. Using a UK dataset (n = 1801) and the COM-B (Capability&ndash...
Although community gardens provide numerous economic, environmental, and social benefits, some have been lost to other land uses due to the lack of organized and effective public support. Knowledge about people’s attitudes and perceptions towar...
The environmental degradation of the films used in packaging is a key factor in their commercial use. Industrial and academic research is aimed at obtaining materials that have degradation features that ensure their eco-sustainability but, at the sam...
The exposure of rural communities to illegal waste dumping practices associated with the lack of or poor waste collection schemes prior to the closure of rural dumpsites under EU regulations and the role of collection efficiency afterward in reducing...
Worldwide, organic waste represents one of the most significant shares in the waste management system. Within the framework of circular bioeconomy, new and cutting-edge infrastructure has been developed at the European level to turn organic waste int...
A significant increase in the consumption of recycled fiber products has been observed worldwide, and the industry is forced to solve the challenges of recycled fiber quality and add strength agents and/or virgin fibers to reach sufficient properties...
Biodegradable polymers are non-toxic, environmentally friendly biopolymers with considerable mechanical and barrier properties that can be degraded in industrial or home composting conditions. These biopolymers can be generated from sustainable natur...
Environmentally friendly packaging is becoming more popular as the number of companies implementing more sustainable solutions continues to increase, and consumers become more aware and choose more environmentally friendly options. However, not all e...
Batik has become more desirable in the current fashion mode within the global market, but the environmental damage induced by this fabric’s synthetic dye practices is a matter of concern. This study aimed to discuss the application of organic m...
The ever-increasing use of plastics, their fossil origin, and especially their persistence in nature have started a wave of new innovations in materials that are renewable, offer the functionalities of plastics, and are biodegradable. One such class...
The implications of food waste extend to the environment, society, and the economy. In the Global North, consumers’ food waste contributes significantly to the current global levels, with action and practice largely driving this contribution. T...
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