Efficiency of the household compost bin as a wastemanagement technique in Sri Lanka

The quantity of waste adding to the mainstream can be
simply reduced by home composting. During the year 2007, the Central
Environmental Authority, Sri Lanka has introduced compost bins to
encourage the home composting and also they launched pilot projects
in selected Local Authorities. This research was focused on the
understanding of the effectiveness of the household composting bins as
a waste management technique for household garbage.

In this research, 70 household samples were selected randomly
among the 4 Grama Niladhari Divisions in Gampaha Municipal
Council Area and a questionnaire survey was carried out to
understand the attitudes of the community towards the home
composting and to identify the problems associate with the use of
compost bin. During the survey to analyze the compost parameters, two
compost samples were collected from the top and the bottom of the
compost bin. The color, odor and texture of the compost samples were
tested visually and the pH was measured by using a calibrated pH
meter. Moisture content and the bulk densities were measured by oven
dry method. Sieve test procedure was used to measure the particle size
variation. Finally the collected data was analyzed statistically by using
Minitab 14.