IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/iwt/jounls/h050801.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Compost quality and markets are pivotal for sustainability in circular food-nutrient systems: a case study of Sri Lanka

Author

Listed:
  • Roy, E. D.
  • Esham, M.
  • Jayathilake, Nilanthi
  • Otoo, M.
  • Koliba, C.
  • Wijethunga, I. B.
  • Fein-Cole, M. J.

Abstract

Sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a critical issue around the world, especially in South Asia where waste generation is expected to double by 2050. Closing the food-nutrient cycle through composting biodegradable MSW has the potential to meet human needs, including sanitation and food security, while protecting the environment. We use an interdisciplinary case study approach including systems thinking to assess Sri Lanka’s national MSW composting system, which primarily receives residential and commercial food waste. We embed quantitative compost quality analysis and interviews at 20 composting facilities within a broader qualitative assessment informed by ~60 stakeholders in total. This approach yields insights on how institutional, economic, social, and biophysical aspects of the system are interrelated, and how challenges and solutions can create undesirable and desirable cascading effects, respectively. Such dynamics can create risks of composting facility failure and unintended consequences, diminishing the chances of achieving a sustainable circular food–nutrient system. Compost quality, which was variable, plays a pivotal role within the system—a function of program design and implementation, as well as a determinant of value capture in a circular economy. We make several recommendations to inform future efforts to sustainably manage biodegradable MSW using composting, drawing on our case study of Sri Lanka and prior case studies from other nations. Key among these is the need for increased emphasis on compost product quality and markets in policy and program design and implementation. Targeted measures are needed to improve waste separation, boost compost quality, effectively use compost standards, encourage compost market development, ringfence the revenues generated at municipal compost plants, and identify efficient modes of compost distribution. Such measures require adequate space and infrastructure for composting, resource investment, local expertise to guide effective system management, strong links with the agriculture sector, and continued political support.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy, E. D. & Esham, M. & Jayathilake, Nilanthi & Otoo, M. & Koliba, C. & Wijethunga, I. B. & Fein-Cole, M. J., 2021. "Compost quality and markets are pivotal for sustainability in circular food-nutrient systems: a case study of Sri Lanka," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-5:748391..
    • Handle: RePEc:iwt:jounls:h050801
    DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.748391
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.748391/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.3389/fsufs.2021.748391?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yi-Tui Chen, 2016. "A Cost Analysis of Food Waste Composting in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-13, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wen-Tien Tsai, 2020. "Turning Food Waste into Value-Added Resources: Current Status and Regulatory Promotion in Taiwan," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-11, April.
    2. Jean Pierre Doussoulin, 2019. "A paradigm of the circular economy: the end of cheap nature?," Post-Print hal-02542701, HAL.
    3. Nour El Houda Chaher & Mehrez Chakchouk & Nils Engler & Abdallah Nassour & Michael Nelles & Moktar Hamdi, 2020. "Optimization of Food Waste and Biochar In-Vessel Co-Composting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Quetzalli Aguilar-Virgen & Paul Taboada-González & Eduardo Baltierra-Trejo & Liliana Marquez-Benavides, 2017. "Cutting GHG Emissions at Student Housing in Central Mexico through Solid Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-12, August.
    5. Hatice Türkten, 2023. "Impact of Revenue Generated via Composting and Recycling of Wastes Produced in the Greenhouse Tomato Supply Chain on Reducing Income Inequality: A Case Study of Türkiye," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-12, September.
    6. Jian Wong, Khai & Keat Ooi, Jun & Sin Woon, Kok & Ren Mong, Guo & Shadman, Saleh & Lam Ng, Wai, 2022. "A country-level Pareto-optimal palm waste utilisation network for economic and environmental sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    7. Alina Zaharia & Maria-Claudia Diaconeasa & Natalia Maehle & Gergely Szolnoki & Roberta Capitello, 2021. "Developing Sustainable Food Systems in Europe: National Policies and Stakeholder Perspectives in a Four-Country Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-40, July.
    8. Nam Phong Le & Thi Thu Phuong Nguyen & Dajian Zhu, 2018. "Understanding the Stakeholders’ Involvement in Utilizing Municipal Solid Waste in Agriculture through Composting: A Case Study of Hanoi, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-32, July.
    9. Albert Banunle & Bernard Fei-Baffoe & Kodwo Miezah & Nana Ewusi-Mensah & Uffe Jørgensen & Robert Aidoo & Alice Amoah & Patrick Addo-Fordjour & Robert Clement Abaidoo, 2024. "Economic Viability Assessment of Small-Scale Biomass Composting Project Within a Developing Country Context," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 951-971, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iwt:jounls:h050801. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chandima Gunadasa (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iwmiclk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.