ASSESSMENT OF COMPOST POTENTIAL OF DOMESTIC WASTES FROM SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS IN BDPA, BENIN CITY

This research project studied on how organic waste generated domestically can be converted into compost. Organic wastes are wastes which are generated from plants, animals or micro organisms, which can be broken down. The aim of this research project was to produce compost by utilizing domestic wastes collected from selected households in BDPA, Benin City within a duration of 4 weeks by determining the average waste generated from the respective households and how much compost can be generated from the organic wastes, by studying the biology of the composting process and identifying the impacts of composting in the environment. There are many approaches to studying compost. During this research study, the aerobic composting method was adopted and in so doing, the organic wastes were sorted from the domestic wastes collected from the various households and decomposed using microorganisms that require oxygen. These organic wastes generated consisted of spoiled/perishable foods, bones, vegetables/leaves and woods. The results from this research showed that after four weeks of composting, the total wastes obtained were 30.02kg, 27.56kg, 35.25kg and 31.63kg while the total compost obtained from the respective houses were 8.6kg, 8.8kg, 12.6kg and 8.6kg. These results revealed that the compost generated were about one-third of the total domestic waste collected originally. The percentages of organic waste produced per week were determined to be 63.29%, 68.21%, 72.05% and 69.55%. Domestic wastes could cause problems in the environment if not well managed and utilized for good. Composting is the best low-cost alternative to solve this problem simply because composting can degrade all types of organic wastes, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants, yard wastes and others. The product from the decayed organic waste in the form of compost could be used as nutrients for crops, soil additives and for environmental management. However, factors such as pH of the pile, temperature of the pile, moisture content off the compost pile and concentration of carbon and nitrogen in the organic material and aeration are some of the main parameters which contribute to 9 9 9 112 vi the efficiency of the composting process. The study of composting is an important part of the global strategy for the collection, treatment and disposal of domestic waste as it also identifies the benefits of composting and the positive effect it would have in the environment.