Search results

Improper waste management has been a serious issue in many countries, thus, home composting is considered as an effective method in solid waste management (SWM). Based on qualitative research methods, this study explores peoples' motives to choose composting and main problems confronted by them in home composting in Kaduwela and Moratuwa municipalities in the Western Province of Sri Lanka and proposes policy measures to improve home compositing.

This study was mainly based on qualitative research methods. A convenient sample of 40 households including 20 households from each municipal council (MC) has been selected using semi-structured interviews. Descriptive methods were used to analyze the data.

Citizens have chosen to compost mainly, for gardening, the influence of local authorities, economic benefits and environmental and health concerns. Fear of potential health problems, lack of resources, problems caused by animals, problems related to compost bins, limited knowledge and awareness about composting are difficulties encountered during home composting. Providing compost bins to people at a concessionary price or for free of charge, providing required facilities and financial assistance, promoting people's positive attitudes and awareness, encouraging the use of compost in households, improving the standard of composting and making relevant legal and institutional arrangements to promote people's participation in home composting are suggested for encouraging home composting.

This study used a small sample, which is the main limitation of this study.

The policy implication will help to improve composting solid waste practices of the Local Governments.

There is a lack of research on composting related to the selected municipalities. As composting is an effective method in SWM, the findings and the proposed policy measures of this study will help to improve the SWM of the Local Governments of Sri Lanka.

This paper considers the role of nonhuman animals in the thought of Donna Haraway, going from her critique of the animal as model/mirror for the evolution of the human body politic to her proposal for a “compost” society. It demonstrates her changing positions in relation to the social role of animals and the deepening of her critique of intersectional relations that subordinate nonhuman animals and animalized people.

The paper intertwines a loosely historical approach and a thematic one, focusing on key issues of sociological theory, such as work, agency and kinship, and the way these relate to the animal question in Haraway's writings. Her texts are discussed both broadly and in-depth, and her positionality in terms of both feminism and antispeciesism is foregrounded.

The paper shows how the progressive abandonment of a posthuman approach in favor of a compostist one brings Haraway nearer to intersectional ecofeminism and to a fuller consideration of nonhuman agency at a material level, as well as to a deeper critique of instrumental relations of domination and issue that had been problematic in critiques of her earlier work.

The paper highlights the role of nonhumans in the evolution and constitution of societies and advocates a response-able multispecies politics.

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the social role of animals in Haraway's thought and the deepening antispeciesism of her feminist approach that sheds a different light on her positionality in relation to ecofeminism.

COVID-19 not only has impacted adversely the health infrastructure, taking away lives of millions of people but it has also crippled the economy. The worst effected were food supply chain due to restrictions imposed on operations of shops and retail outlets. The consumers were suffering due to lack of supply. Similarly, agriculture produce were getting wasted due to lack of cold storage.

In this case we have proposed how a mobile-based application solution during COVID lockdown can successfully transform the livelihood of rural farmers in the state of Maharashtra (India), a state worst affected by the pandemic.

The technology-integrated supply chain model jointly developed by financial institutions, self-help groups (SHGs) and NGOs has enabled direct selling of fresh produces by rural women farmers to urban large residential societies at their doorsteps. It has provided a solution of municipality waste management by converting the waste to compost, getting them collected and used in the farmlands.

It will help the urban consumers to have the continuous supply of fresh vegetables and fruits available at their doorsteps, and keep a track of transport of foods from farm to fork. The farmers will be able to get better price for their produce. The model will also contribute towards circular economy (CE) through citizen partnership.

New Jersey′s “garbage crisis” has resulted in the State mandating a 60 per cent recycling goal by the end of 1995. Attainment of this goal will be difficult as recovery of paper, glass, tin, aluminium and plastic represent less than 60 per cent of the materials discarded by the Garden State. Source separation and composting of clean organic materials such as food, soiled paper, waxed corrugated and other food processing residuals can help the State reach and surpass the 60 per cent goal. In 1993, American Soil, Inc. (ASI), a regional compost facility located in Freehold, NJ, played a key role as the first company in the State to integrate organic composting successfully as a recycling activity into the State′s solid waste management hierarchy. New Jersey′s “regulatory gauntlet”, developed since 1972, proved to be enormously burdensome to ASI as it strived to gain final approval. For this to change, strong leadership and co‐operation between the public and private sector communities must be established and maintained.

The purpose of this paper is to share one uncommon way that an academic library moved toward more sustainable library operations and to share lessons learned in the implementation of a compost collection program in an academic library.

Case study.

The right collaboration is critical to successfully implementing a library composting program and challenges like working around supply purchasing hurdles, reducing contamination in the collection bins, and working out appropriate assessment techniques may be encountered.

Academic libraries can implement compost collections program if the proper infrastructure exists and the appropriate partnerships are established.

Academic libraries can be leaders in sustainable building operations and provide learning opportunities for the entire campus and surrounding community.

Very little published literature exists on implementing composting program in libraries of any kind. This case study helps to build that body of literature.

I. Pollution of Aquifers examines the document produced by the French Academy of Sciences concerning the current state of the underground water tables in France, proposes remedies to halt the pollution of this vital national water reserve. The emphasis is on prevention. II. Composting and Waste Disposal deals with the benefits of composting for the disposal of organic material. It outlines the two methods used and shows the ecological and economic benefits of the process. III. Addresses the recently published document prepared by the Royal Society and the US Academy of Sciences concerning the population explosion. Outlines various remedies including the contribution of science and technology.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate consumers’ latent need to serve society by participating in “Go Green Revolution” and the contribution to proper disposal of waste and packaging of fruits and vegetables by the consumer and retailer.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) regular customers comprise an expatriate population of 200 nationalities. Primary research attempted to maintain a ratio of this diversity.

There is low awareness of effects of disposal of fruits and vegetables and an urgent need for intervention by stakeholders.

This research attempts to provide avenues for further scientific and academic research. Better methods of disposing and faster turnaround from waste to compost should be pursued scientifically. Academic research venues are available for researchers to study methodologies which can be used to educate people. Corporate, institutional and government awareness campaigns specific to disposal of fruits and vegetables should be researched further.

The paper attempts to analyse the levels of awareness of the general population with respect to disposal of fruits and vegetables. The landfills can be saved from the stench which usually encompasses the area, if fruits and vegetables can be disposed properly. The creation of compost at micro levels can help create a greener earth.

The research paper focuses on awareness of disposal of fruits and vegetables and its packaging, which is new in the context of the UAE.

India has taken a successful step towards meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by providing access to basic amenities such as safe drinking water, waste management, drainage systems and bio-compost pits in households. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that significantly impact access to such basic amenities in villages in two states in the hilly regions of India.

Village-level secondary data collected from the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) website has been analyzed using multiple linear regression and non-parametric statistical tests. Socio-economic and demographic variables are the independent factors in regression whereas availability of basic amenities is the dependent variable.

Findings reveal that in Himachal Pradesh, gender ratio, annual income per family, percentage of BPL households, percentage of pucca houses, and percentage of village population above graduation, significantly impact access to piped water in village households. Also, literacy rate and percentage of population with education above graduation significantly impact availability of compost pits. Further, in Uttarakhand, percentage of pucca houses influences access to waste collection system and availability of compost pits. Availability of drainage systems is influenced by literacy rate. A comparison between the two hilly states reveals that Himachal Pradesh is better off in terms of ease of access to drinking water whereas Uttarakhand is ahead in terms of other amenities.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other studies have used socio-economic and demographic variables to study access to basic amenities in villages in hilly states in India.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of two decomposition processes, namely, composting and vermicomposting, on the chemical composition of the finished products of a mixture of: cotton residues; soil and cotton residues; farmyard; soil.

Composting experiments were done over six months to prepare four different mixtures as follows: cotton residues+soil (C); cotton residues+soil+earthworms (C+E); cotton residues+soil+farmyard manure (C+F); and cotton residues+soil+farmyard manure+earthworms (C+F+E). Electrical conductivity, pH, nitrate-N, ammonium-N, ash, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, total organic carbon, carbon: nitrogen ratio, total potassium and trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn) were determined on monthly-based samples.

Significant differences (p < 0.05) in organic carbon, nitrate-N, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content were recorded in vermicompost compared to compost. In general, results indicated that vermicompost had a significant effect compared to compost and a positive effect on the chemical properties of the finished products.

This research work was carried out by four researchers from two institutions concerned with agricultural production and environmental aspects related to soil productivity. The paper emphasizes on production of organic fertilizers with good quality and monitoring of composting process for better management practices of agricultural wastes in Sudan.