Definition of Organic Waste, Types, Characteristics, and examples of organic waste – Waste is one of the big problems in every country. In fact, over time, the amount of waste has not decreased, especially organic waste. Do you know what organic waste actually is?
Organic waste is material waste or garbage that can be recycled and comes from living things, such as food waste, waste from living things, or plant waste.
In other words, organic waste is waste material or garbage obtained from production processes or activities, both activities in the household and industrial fields. This organic waste is waste or garbage that is easily decomposed through several natural processes.
Why can it be easily decomposed?
That’s because organic waste contains chemical substances that can be said to be stable so that this organic waste will be more easily buried or settled in the ground, lakes, rivers, even the sea.
This type of organic waste decomposes faster in a short period of time until it finally decomposes into a small substance, but does not cause an odor. However, organic waste will cause unpleasant odors, even diseases if not managed properly.
For that reason, often the manufacture of fertilizer utilizes material from organic waste to be used as compost.
When viewed from the type, organic waste is divided into two, namely wet organic waste and dry organic waste. For a complete explanation, the following will be explained regarding wet organic waste and dry organic waste.
Types of Organic Waste
Organic waste is divided into two types, namely wet organic waste and dry organic waste. Here is the explanation.
1. Wet Organic Waste
Wet organic waste is one of the types of organic waste in which water content is stored at a high and abundant rate. Typically, wet organic waste has a low level of hardness or can be said to be softer so that bacteria are also easier to process and destroy waste or garbage.
There are some examples of wet organic waste that you need to know and understand, among them.
Examples of wet organic waste: food waste
Wet organic waste from food waste, namely vegetable waste, corn husks, rotting fruit waste, onion skins, seeds, banana skins, straw and the like. The rest of the ingredients that have been mentioned, we often find them for cooking ingredients in the kitchen.
That type of organic waste must be separated from other waste because we can still use it and process it again, for example, it can be processed into compost, or it can also be processed into something interesting (of course a drying process is required first).
Examples of wet organic waste: excreta of living things
Wet organic waste from the excrement of living things can be recycled to be used as manure that can be beneficial for plants at home. Usually, manure is produced from animal excrement such as chicken excrement, cow excrement, or goat excrement.
Maybe you will ask, why should it be processed into manure? That is because manure contains micro and macro nutrients that are good for the soil so that when it is used for plantations, the plants will flourish.
Organic fertilizers that have been tested for their superiority, are not only useful for fertilizing plants, but also for improving nutrients and restoring soil fertility.
You can process your own environmentally friendly non-chemical fertilizers by making use of agricultural waste, animal husbandry waste, and even household waste.
This book completely explains how to make solid and liquid organic fertilizers, as well as their application for agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries.
2. Dry Organic Waste
In contrast to wet organic waste, dry organic waste generally keeps water content at a rate that tends to be small. This causes dry organic waste to take longer to break down so that it can be recycled.
Here are some examples of dry organic waste that is difficult to decompose, among them.
Examples of dry organic waste: logs
Typically, logs are sourced from felled trees. As we know that logs are very difficult to destroy, it even takes a long time, even though we have piled or buried them at the bottom of the ground. An effective way to make the process of destroying logs faster is to cut the logs into smaller sizes.
Examples of dry organic waste: eggshells
Eggshells become one of the household food wastes that belong to dry organic waste. That is because the eggshell has a material that is hard enough to cause the recycling process to take a long time. That way, even in its processing it needs better caution.
Examples of dry organic waste: coconut shells
No wonder when coconut shells are included in dry organic waste. That is because the coconut shell has very little water content, then the texture is also very hard. Then, the coconut shell also takes a long time to disintegrate.
That can be proven when you are visiting a beach, then see a coconut shell that is very dry, but the shell is still very hard and not completely destroyed.
There are various types of fertilizers that make farmers and garden operators have many options in determining which fertilizer is the cheapest or the easiest. However, due to the large variety of fertilizers, sometimes farmers and garden operators find it difficult to decide which fertilizer to use because they do not know it for sure.
So through this book will be discussed and introduced about solid organic fertilizer and how to make it.
Characteristics of Organic Waste
There is an easy way to distinguish which is organic waste and which is not, namely by recognizing and understanding its characteristics or characteristics. The following will briefly explain the characteristics of organic waste.
- Generally, organic waste has a high water content. During the decomposition process, the water content found in the waste will evaporate until it finally dries up.
- Organic waste comes from the waste of natural materials which, when it is the result of human processing, does not go through a long process and contains many chemical substances.
- Waste tends to decompose easily, without having to go through various processing processes. That can be proven when you find waste or garbage that is about to be destroyed even though it is only left for a few periods without undergoing various processes.
- Microbes or decomposing germs that are in or at the bottom of the soil are able to destroy waste or garbage. In other words, when burying or burying organic waste in the ground in the right way, the condition inside or the bottom of the soil will not be contaminated.
Benefits of Organic Waste
Maybe you have thought that waste or garbage has absolutely no use or benefit. That thought is not accurate. That is because garbage or organic waste certainly has many benefits that can be used as a source of income when it is processed into a useful form or product.
What’s more, the utilization can minimize the amount of waste in landfills or final disposal sites. Still don’t believe it? See the following explanation regarding some of the benefits of organic waste.
1. Organic Waste can be Processed into Organic Fertilizer or Compost
If you have a hobby of gardening and planting plants in your yard, you can use organic waste that has been processed into compost as a fertilizer for your plants.
Make use of organic waste, such as vegetable waste, fruit waste which is then processed into compost. For the process of making this compost or organic fertilizer, it is not complicated.
2. Organic Waste as Soil Fertilizer
In addition to being used for the manufacture of organic fertilizers or compost, organic waste can be used as a soil fertilizer. How to do it? You just plant or bury garbage or organic waste in the ground.
Later, the organic waste will decompose and provide nutrients that can fertilize the soil so that the plants you have also grow healthier.
3. Organic Waste as Animal Feed
Organic waste can also be used for animal feed. You can directly use waste or organic waste as animal feed, for example, goat, buffalo or cow feed.
In addition to being used as animal feed, it turns out that organic waste can also be used and processed into pellets for chicken and fish feed. The high nutrients in organic waste can make livestock grow healthier.
4. Organic waste becomes a source of electricity and biogas
Furthermore, the benefit of organic waste is that it can be processed into a source of electricity and biogas. Organic waste that can be forgiven as a source of electricity and biogas material, among them the excrement of living creatures, tofu, and tempeh.
How to do it? The trick is to prepare a media or a closed container to be used as a reservoir for the gas that has been added to water, then stir the two mixtures so that the manufacturing or processing process can run smoothly and quickly.
5. Organic waste can be processed into handicrafts
Some people, including you, may think that what can be processed into handicrafts is only inorganic waste. Although, organic waste can also be used, lol.
Organic waste of a type of hyacinth plant can be dried and burned which is then processed into a beautiful bag. Not only that, coconut shells can also be processed and used for tableware, such as small bowls, cups, and others.
This book will discuss step by step how to make your own liquid organic fertilizer with existing ingredients, and of course with a lighter cost than having to keep buying artificial fertilizer.
How to Process Organic Waste
After knowing some of the benefits of organic waste, it’s time to find out how to process it. The following will briefly explain how to process organic waste that you can follow at home.
How to Process Organic Waste into Compost Fertilizer
Before entering the manufacturing stage, prepare the necessary tools and materials first, namely media or a large container with a lid (you can use a bucket or a large barrel), gloves, household waste (you can use vegetable or other food waste), soil , enough water, chaff charcoal, agricultural lime, and EM4 fertilizer liquid for additional ingredients.
Now, enter the stage of making organic waste into compost. First, prepare organic waste or household waste to be processed into compost or organic fertilizer. Then, separate organic waste, such as vegetable or food waste and plastic waste. That is because it is the organic waste that is to be used to make compost.
Next, prepare the large container or media that was prepared earlier. Remember, the container or media to be used must have a lid. That is so that the fertilizer to be made will not be contaminated with outside air. Then, put enough soil into the container, make sure the container has also been filled with organic waste. For the thickness itself, you can adjust it to the media or container as well as the amount of organic waste used.
Pour and flush the surface of the soil with water, just enough. Add the organic waste that has been mixed with husk charcoal (this is only optional), and agricultural lime into the container or media earlier.
Try to make sure that the waste is stored evenly. In other words, the thickness between the litter and the soil should be equal. Then, pour and flush with water that has been mixed with EM4. then, add more soil to the container. The soil here serves as a garbage cover. Finally, close the container tightly and let it sit for approximately 21 days or three weeks.
However, there are some things to be aware of when you make compost or organic fertilizer yourself at home. First, make sure that the container for making compost is not contaminated by rainwater and other animals. Then, do not leave the container exposed to sunlight.
Well, when all that is done, you can immediately use the compost or organic fertilizer that you have made to cultivate various types of plants or plants in your yard.
How to Process Organic Waste into Biogas
Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria, ie bacteria or germs that live and grow in dense air. Typically, all types of organic matter managed will produce biogas. However, only solid and homogeneous liquid organic matter is capable of producing biogas.
There are three types of materials that promise to be managed as household biogas raw materials in Indonesia, among them organic waste, animal or human excrement, and liquid waste. The following will be explained related to the process of making household biogas.
First, mix organic waste with water, the ratio is 1:1. Then, put the biogas material into the reactor through the filling point of 2,000 liters, then there will be a biogas production process inside the reactor.
After approximately 10 days the biogas reactor and biogas container will expand and harden. That is because of the biogas produced. Biogas can be used as fuel and biogas stoves can be used.
Then, don’t forget to shake the biogas reactor occasionally so that complete decomposition occurs and the gas at the bottom will rise to the top. Do the same at each reactor filling.
For the next filling of biogas material can be done every day, ie every morning and afternoon as much as 40 liters. As for the waste from the processing of biogas material in the form of mud, it will come out by itself or spontaneously every time the biogas material is filled. Finally, the waste from the processing of the biogas material can finally be used directly as organic fertilizer. That way, biogas can be used for household needs.
That is the information about Organic Waste, ranging from types, characteristics, benefits to how to process organic waste. If Reader is interested and wants to expand knowledge related to organic waste processing or the like, of course you can find, buy, and read the book on Sinaumedia.com and Sinaumedia Digital because Sinaumedia is always a #SahabatTanpaBatas for those of you who want to gain knowledge.
Hopefully this article can add to your insight, yes!
This book provides an introduction to organic farming and organic pesticides that can be made by yourself, the ingredients are simple and available around us. In addition to being environmentally friendly, organic pesticides can also be a business opportunity. A hassle-free way to make it can be practiced anytime and anywhere.