Integrated biowaste management by composting at a university campus: process monitoring and quality assessment

The sustainable management of biowaste, mainly food and pruning waste, is currently a challenge due to the increase in its production. The CaMPuSTAJE program, which has been implemented on the campus of the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) since 2019, is an excellent example of how the institutio...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Álvarez Alonso, Cristina, Pérez Murcia, Maria Dolores, Martínez Sabater, Encarnación, Irigoyen Iriarte, Ignacio, Sánchez Arizmendiarrieta, Joseba, Plana, Ramón, López Martínez, Margarita|||0000-0001-5913-6445, Nogués, Isabel, Bustamante Muñoz, María Ángeles
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/433685
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/433685
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app15062910
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Community composting
Biowaste
Compost quality
Pathogens
Circular economy
Canteen organic waste
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Desenvolupament humà i sostenible::Enginyeria ambiental::Tractament dels residus
Descrição
Resumo:The sustainable management of biowaste, mainly food and pruning waste, is currently a challenge due to the increase in its production. The CaMPuSTAJE program, which has been implemented on the campus of the Public University of Navarre (UPNA) since 2019, is an excellent example of how the institution is addressing its strategic interests in sustainable waste management. The principal aim of this program is to manage the biowastes generated by the campus canteens through a simple community composting facility, involving UPNA students and graduates. This program aims to promote experiential learning and applied research in sustainability and circular economy, managing their own waste in a circular and local way. Thus, four composting sets of the CaMPuSTAJE program were evaluated by monitoring the process and the main chemical properties of the composting samples. Also, final composts were fully characterized to ensure the process reproducibility and efficiency and the absence of any hazard in the end-products. The final composts showed a significant agronomic quality, had low content of potentially toxic elements, and were free from phytotoxicity, thus being able to be reintroduced as an organic amendment at the university campus itself.