EVALUATION OF BIODEGRADABLE WASTE COMPOSTING AND RELEVANCE OF USE TO SOIL ENRICHMENT

Abstract

Biodegradable waste accumulated in the household sector can be composted, and the final product - compost, could be used as a stable soil enrichment material, providing environmental and economic benefits. A quantitative and qualitative study of biodegradable waste was carried out in 2024-2025 in home conditions of family with established food consumption and preparation habits and using a simple method of composting biodegradable waste. Biodegradable waste was composted with earthworms of Eisenia fetida species under aerobic conditions for up to 4 months. It was found that the amount of biodegradable waste in a household per family can reach an average of up to 1.5 kg per month. The pH_KCl of biodegradable waste can be on average about 5.3, the C/N ratio varies from 16.4 to 21.4, and the N/S ratio is somewhat higher (from 20.9 to 24.2). The pH_KCl of the resulting vermicompost changed to an average of 6.3. The C/N ratio also changed (10.8–12.6), but the N/P ratio significantly decreased (to an average of 4.4). Meanwhile, the biological indicators of garden cress seedlings depended on the ratio of vermicompost and soil in the substrate mixture.