Effect of Various Feedstocks on Compost Properties and Use

Composting is a natural biological process which results in the degradation of organic waste to a stable end product, commonly referred to as compost, which can be utilized for various agricultural purposes. Increasing landfill costs and regulations which limit many types of waste accepted at landfills has increased interest in composting as a component of waste management (Goldstein and Spencer, 1990, Goldstein, 1991). Composition of waste varies from yard waste, municipal solid waste (MSW), source separated MSW, agricultural production and processing waste and various other industrial organic waste. With such diversity in waste products coupled with variation in the composting processes one would expect extreme variability in the chemical and physical properties of final product as reported by (Cook et al. 1994; He et al. 1992; Bugbee, 1994; Elwell et a1 1994).