What is composting?
Summary for biological processes which use oxygen (O2) for the degradation of the organic waste
C6H12O2 + O2 -> CO2 + H2O = new biomass
What is needed in compost?
• Oxygen (O2)
• Carbon additives such as wood pellets or fine sawdust
• Moisture
• Micro organisms
What can I compost in JORA composter?
- Food scraps(raw, cooked, fried & smoked)
- Meat-and bone
- Fish - and bone
- Shellfish
- Vegetables
- Vacuum cleaner dust
- Eggs - and shell
- Potatoes
- Bread and biscuits
- Fruit (every kind)
- Coffee drains and filters
- Teabags and tea leaves
- Household paper, paper bags (non coloured)
- Serviettes (non coloured)
- Sawdust from hamster/ guinea pig cages
- Flower waste from vases, post and terraces
What is unsuitable for composting?
- Liquids - milk, soup etc
- Cigarette butts, ashes, snuff & tobacco
- Chewing gum
- Tinfoil and other metals
- Rubber items
- Cat sand
- Envelopes, newspapers or other heavily printed matter
- Any plastics, plastic bags
- Milk or juice cartons (they are waxed)
- Cling film
- Pieces of coloured or impregnated wood (a pollutant to the compost)
- Sacking
- Fire ashes, chalk, earth
Why should we compost?
- Organic waste makes a large part of domestic garbage
- Compost can be used as a soil improver and as a fertilizer instead of chemical products
- For economy as it reduces the costs for garbage disposal
- It reduces the cost to transport garbage from residences to landfill sites
The compost soil is a valuable resource
- Nutrient value comparable to cow manure
- Excellent as a soil improver
- Fertilizer with long time effect
What about the presence of heavy metals in composted material?
|
Metals |
Results |
Limits |
|
Zinc |
32 mg/kg |
< 300 mg/kg |
|
Lead |
0,58 mg/kg |
< 100 mg/kg |
|
Nickel |
< 2,4 mg/kg |
< 50 mg/kg |
|
Mercury |
0,12 mg/kg |
< 1 mg/kg |
|
Copper |
12 mg/kg |
< 100 mg/kg |
|
Chrome |
< 2,5 mg/kg |
< 100 mg/kg |
|
Cadmium |
0,14 mg/kg |
< 1 mg/kg |
Analysis performed at Familjebostäder, Siriusgatan in Göteborg, Sweden