Project Overview

The paradigm of ‘waste to energy, mitigation of carbon and its sequestration is relegated to a secondary level which conversely results in India discarding 68.8 million tons in landfills and comes third after China and US in total GHGs emission. The study highlights the adept schemes for successful co-composting of food, fruit and green waste, with a mechanism to mitigate carbon leakage in the developing countries. The present study is the pioneer attempt to produce bio-stable, organoleptic and agronomic feasible organic compost evaluating the physicochemical parameters using the two-stage composting (TSC) comprising bioreactor and windrows using mixture of raw materials: 50% green waste,50% food and fruit waste of total 300 per day, to produce compatible compost in 110 days in TSC. The main objective of present study to study was to analyze and overview the configuration technology, analytical parameters and feasibility of net zero energy improving building resilience, to achieve de-carbonisation target to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5O C, to meet the goals of the Paris agreement to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change. The inference of study is the mitigation of carbon leakage of 346.7 metric ton CO2 and generating 564 quintals organic compost to achieve sustainable zero waste future.

Organisation

Post Graduate Government College for Girls. Sector-11, Chandigarh

Team

The project team consists of Five members:
Principal Investigator-Dr VISHAL SHARMA
Gardeners.
Ramjeet
Girja Shankar
Brij Mohan
Shalinder

Project Brief

Composting is an environmentally sociable process which is influenced by the characteristics of composted materials and method. The two-stage system is the composting method combining two different technologies in a single composting process to improve efficiency and to reduce the environmental impact of the conventional composting process. Presently, a pilot-scale investigation is the pioneer attempt to study both technologies; single windrow composting and two stage (mechanical-manual) composting strategy to produce bio-stable, organoleptic and compatible evaluating the physicochemical parameters (temperature, moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, C:N ratio). The two treatment has the same mixture of materials: 50% green waste (60% leaves,35% grass clippings and 5% tree branches), 25% food waste and 25%fruit and vegetable waste of total 300 per day including scalability at 2 more institutes (Judicial Academy,Sector-43,Chandigarh and PG Government college, Sector-1, Panchkula.)

Project Innovation/Need

i) The main objective of the present project is to the monitor the physico-chemical parameters (temperature, moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, C: N ratio).to produce stabilized compost in 110 days. The total carbon footprint benefit till the inception is 346.6 metric ton of CO2. & 564 quintals organic compost generated
(ii)The problem solved due to the bioconversion of solid waste are its management are:
• Unscientific land filling
• Avoiding the breeding grounds for mosquitoes, casual organism of many diseases
• Saving precious Farmyard Manure (FYM), which are used in Agriculture fields and in Biogas Plants for sustainable development
•The concept of circular economy (CE), restorative and regenerative system by design has contributed to a paradigm shift in the transformation of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) in the management of municipal solid waste. The present study entails ascertaining how WtE can serve as a circular economy tool toward carbon footprint benefits and climate change mitigation that will ensure environmental sustainability

Design Challenge

Dr Vishal Sharma bagged United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action award in Individual category (“Environment Sustainability”-2020-2021) and was recognized and at 26th International Congress of IFHE-International Award 2020 in Italy. The project was also awarded as Innovative Environment Project by CII; 2021(8th edition) of National Awards and in Business World (BW) “Recycling for Greener Tomorrow Conclave Awards 2022, for their Carbon footprint benefits. Dr Sharma project is shortlisted as one of the finalists of United Nations Green Gown International Awards 2022 and also got “International Best Scientist Award in Plant Biotechnology”, accredited by US based World Research Council (WRC). Dr Sharma project is shortlisted as one of the finalists of United Nations Green Gown International Awards 2022, a pioneer project from India. Recently, on Environment day (June 5,2022), the National Environmental Science Academy, New Delhi has conferred ‘Green Technology Innovative Awards-2022 to Dr Vishal Sharma in International Conference on Agriculture Science and at ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, for his contribution in the field of mitigation of Carbon footprints and Dr Sharma also received the prestigious Green India Awards for innovation in the field of Solid Waste Management to mitigate carbon footprints in World Environment Expo (WEE-2022) at Pragati Maidan (04-06 June, 2022), New Delhi organized by UNEP (United Nation Environment Program and Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, Government of India). Recently, the Solid Waste Energy project of Dr Vishal Sharma is shortlisted in the category “Physical Technology of the Year-2022.

Future Impact

Tangible Benefits
1. Saving and Benefits: The organic compost generated from municipal solid waste with standardized parameters have good texture blooms with increased bloom diameter and shelf life with increased number of flowers (2.5 times) than control. Till now 564 quintals organic compost is prepared in windrow plant since inception saving money worth sixteen lakh. The farmyard manure (FYM) saved is used in fields and Biogas plants.
2. Carbon Footprints and Carbon Credits:
The carbon emission through default emission method is 40 kg CO2 released per 100kg solids treated (Singh et al., 2017; Nordahl et al., 2020). The amount of total carbon dioxide generated annually in two stage composting (TSC) is 5280 kg CO2 annually with carbon footprint benefit of 88% (38,520 kg CO2 annually) in comparison to landfill generation. This carbon mitigation in total including scalabity at two institutes, eventually become 346.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and generated 346 carbon credits since its inception. Each credit in global market costs $33.6, therefore, around 8.71 lakhs are gained.