Vermicomposting of Yard Waste and Shredded Paper by Eisenia Foetida

Yard waste comprises an estimated 6.3% of the total waste generated by residential area
in Kuala Lumpur in 2002. It should not be land filled because it is relatively a clean and
biodegradable material that can be recycled for soil improvement and other agricultural
uses. Paper comprises 6.7% of total residential waste in Kuala Lumpur in 2002. In the
past, paper was collected with other Municipal Solid Waste and sent to landfills or
incinerators for final disposal. As fewer incinerators have been under construction in
recent years, paper disposal has become a serious problem in many cities.
Vermicomposting is an alternative for waste management of using earthworms to
accelerate the decomposition and stabilization of biodegradable matter into usable end
product called vermicompost. The project was focused on the efficiency of Eisenia
Foetida in vermicomposting of yard waste and shredded paper generated by Universiti
Teknologi Petronas. The study was conducted for 10 weeks by measuring the changes
in Total Organic Carbon, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus and pH in
homogenized sample which collected at every 2 weeks of the experimental duration. 20
reactors having five Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C/N=30, 35, 40, 45 and 50) and four
variation initial numbers of earthworms (N0=0, 20, 30 and 40) were tested. The
moisture level of substrate was maintained around 70-90% throughout the study period.
The maximum reduction of TOC was in R3 at C/N=SO (22.26%). The highest
increment of TKN occurred in R3 at C/N=50 (247.53%). The highest increment of K
was in R3 at C/N=SO (290.00%). Available P increased greatest in R3 at C/N=SO
(728.90 %). The maximum reduction of pH was observed in R2 at C/N=30 (7.400/o).
However, the change of pH in vermicomposting was not affected by No. The maximum
reduction of weight of substrate after 10 weeks of vermicomposting was in R3 at
C/N=45 (44.62%). The experimental data had provided that C/N=SO and No=40 was the
most efficient condition for optimum vermicomposting of yard waste and shredded
paper.