Citation:
Godley A.R., Smith R. and Tothill I.E. (2004). Is pre-biological treatment of organic wastes the best option for recycling organic matter to soil? In: Proc. 9th European Biosolids and Organic Residuals Conference. Paper 44, Session 15, Beneficial Reuse. Wakefield, UK, 14-17 November 2004.
Abstract:
Organic wastes are produced from a variety of sources such as agriculture,
horticulture, forestry, industry, sewage treatment and households. These wastes
are mainly derived from crops grown on land and contain elements, such as N, P,
K, and S, originally found in the soil as nutrients. The major element of
organic matter (C) is however derived from the CO2 taken up by the plant from
the atmosphere. The current trend is to recycle and reuse organic wastes as a
resource, and their disposal in landfill is being actively discouraged 7,8,10,11
. Recycling organic wastes to land would benefit soil quality, sequestrate C
into soils, return the nutrients removed from the soil in crop offtake, and help
to establish a more sustainable use of soil and fertilizers.
