SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................3
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ......................................................................................... 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. 3
METHODS ....................................................................................................................... 3
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .................................................................................... 4
1. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 5
2. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK CONCERNING WASTE REUSE AND COMPOST USE 6
2.1 LAWS AND ORDINANCES ..................................................................................... 6
2.2 POLICIES ................................................................................................................... 6
2.2.1 Environmental Policy 1992 and Implementation work ..................................................6
2.2.2 National Policy for Water Supply and Sanitation 1998 .................................................6
2.2.3 Implementation of the policies ......................................................................................7
2.3 STANDARDS FOR COMPOST IN BANGLADESH .................................................7
3. AN OVERVIEW ON COMPOSTING AND COMPOST .............................................8
3.1 THE PROCESS OF COMPOSTING ...........................................................................8
3.2 COMPOST USED IN FARMING ...............................................................................8
4. DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPOSTING SCHEME ....................................................9
4.1 THE MIRPUR COMPOSTING SCHEME ...................................................................9
4.1.1 Setting and layout of the composting plant ....................................................................9
4.1.2 Process steps of the composting system ......................................................................12.
4.1.2.1 Waste Collection ................................................................... .................................14
4.1.2.2 Sorting ................................................................... ................................................14
4.1.2.3 Piling ................................................................... ...................................................14
4.1.2.4 Turning, watering and temperature monitoring ...........................................................15
4.1.2.5 Maturing ................................................................... ..............................................15
4.1.2.6 Screening .................................................................................................................16
4.1.2.7 Grinding, enrichment and marketing ..........................................................................16
4.1.3 Farming demonstration and nursery ................................................................... .........17
4.2 ALTERNATIVE COMPOSTING SYSTEM: BARREL-TYPE COMPOSTING SYSTEM
4.2.1 Description of the process ..........................................................................................17
4.2.2 Space requirements ....................................................................................................17
4.2.3 Problems and advantages when using barrels for composting .......................................17
4.2.3.1 Advantages .............................................................................................................17
4.2.3.2 Problem: Corrosion .................................................................................................18
5. EVALUATION OF THE COMPOSTING PROCESS ..................................................19
5.1 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................19
5.1.1 Mass flow ..................................................................................................................19
5.1.2 Temperature ...............................................................................................................19
5.1.3 Determination of the development of various parameters during the composting process.19
5.1.3.1 Collecting of samples and determination of the moisture conte....................................19
5.1.3.2 Sample preparation...................................................................................................20
5.1.3.3 Analysis of elements, helminth eggs pathogen and maturity .........................................20
5.1.4 Man-hour monitoring ...................................................................................................21
5.1.5 Household survey ........................................................................................................21
5.2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ....................................................................................22
5.2.1 Collection ....................................................................................................................22
5.2.2 Mass flow ....................................................................................................................24
5.2.3 Composting process .....................................................................................................27
5.2.4 Temperature curve .......................................................................................................27
5.2.5 Helminth eggs pathogen ................................................................................................28
5.2.6 Compost production .....................................................................................................29
5.2.7 The development of various parameters during the composting process ..........................29
5.2.7.1 Overview of the lab results .........................................................................................30
5.2.7.2 The development of physical and chemical parameters through composting ..................30
5.2.7.3 Maturity and Maturity Index .......................................................................................36
5.2.7.4 Water for watering .....................................................................................................36
5.2.8 Man-hour monitoring .....................................................................................................37
5.2.8.1 Results from Mirpur plant ...........................................................................................37
5.2.8.2 Comparison with Yogyakarta, Indonesia .....................................................................37
5.2.9 Household survey ..........................................................................................................38
5.2.9.1 Views of the households .............................................................................................38
5.2.9.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................39
6. FINANCIAL EVALUATION OF THE MIRPUR COLLECTION AND COMPOSTING SCHEME ............................................................................................................................40
6.1 COSTS .........................................................................................................................40
6.1.1 Investment costs .........................................................................................................41
6.1.1.1 Land costs ..............................................................................................................42
6.1.2 Operation costs ..........................................................................................................43
6.1.3 Specific costs of the Composting Project ....................................................................44
6.2 REVENUES .................................................................................................................45
6.2.1 Revenues from the composting activity ........................................................................45
6.2.2 Cost reduction for transport and dumping ....................................................................46
6.2.2.1 Reduction of transport costs .....................................................................................46
6.2.2.2 Reduction of landfill costs .........................................................................................46
6.2.2.3 Total cost reduction for the municipality ....................................................................47
6.3 COMMERCIAL APPRAISAL OF THE PROJECT .....................................................47
6.3.1 Discounting method: Net Present Value (NPV) ............................................................47
6.3.2 Net Present Value of the Mirpur Composting Scheme ..................................................47
6.3.3 Discussion ................................................................... .............................................. 48
6.3.4 Commercial value of the compost [after CREPA]. ........................................................49
6.4 FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF BARREL-TYPE COMPOSTING ...................................49
7. HEALTH ASPECTS OF THE PRODUCTION AND USE OF COMPOST ..................50
7.1 HEALTH OF THE PLANT WORKERS .......................................................................50
7.2 HEALTH RISK FOR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE PLANT .............................51
7.3 HEALTH RISK FOR USERS AND CONSUMERS OF COMPOST ...........................51
7.3.1 Quality standards for compost ......................................................................................52
7.4 ODOR PROBLEMS .....................................................................................................52
8. QUALITY AND QUALITY CONTROL ........................................................................53
9. MARKETING OF COMPOST .......................................................................................55
9.1 GENERAL COMMENTS .............................................................................................55
9.2 TRANSPORT COSTS ..................................................................................................55
9.3 MARKETING OF THE COMPOST OF WASTE CONCERN ....................................55
10. RECOMMENDED STEPS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPOSTING PLANT .............................................................................................................................................56
10.1 NECESSARY STEPS FOR THE INTRODUCTION .................................................56
10.2 RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN DHAKA CITY CONCERNING COMMUNITY BASED COMPOSTING ..................................................................................................................57
11. FINAL COMMENTS ...................................................................................................59
12. FUTURE RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................60
13. LITERATURE ...............................................................................................................61
APPENDIX A: ORGANIC FRACTION OF THE SOLID WASTE IN DHAKA CITY .....64
APPENDIX B: ABOUT STANDARDS OF COMPOST (BARC) ......................................65
APPENDIX C: MATURITY INDEX ..................................................................................66
APPENDIX D: TABLE FOR MAN-HOUR MONITORING .............................................68
APPENDIX E: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ...................................71
APPENDIX F: TEMPERATURE MONITORING (IN °C) .................................................73
APPENDIX G: MASS FLOW THROUGH THE COMPOSTING SYSTEM .....................74
APPENDIX I: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................... 77

In the residential area of Mirpur in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a pilot project for the decentralised treatment of organic waste through composting was started in 1995 by the initiative of Waste Concern, a national research based NGO. Organic waste is converted into compost using the "Indonesian Windrow Technique", a labour intensive aerobic and thermopile composting procedure.

For this study, key information on the Mirpur Composting Scheme was collected. This includes a description of the technical and operational aspects of the composting scheme (site-layout, process steps, mass flows, monitoring of physical and chemical parameters), the evaluation of financial parameters and the description of the legislative situation in Bangladesh concerning waste management.

Recommendations are given for the implementation of new composting systems and aspects of marketing the final product (the compost) are discussed.

The study shows that the Mirpur waste collection and composting scheme is a good alternative to conventional solid waste management options as it reduces the amounts of waste to be transported and dumped in disposal sites, improves the quality of life of the residents in the collection area (cleaner environment) and produces a good and hygienic product from waste, which if used in agriculture, helps avoid the degradation of soils.

The assessed scheme is economical viable if it is run near at full capacity. Additionally it also saves significant costs for the municipality who is in charge and responsible for municipal solid waste management.