Compost maker – To quickly make compost

Types of food materials and others: Food scraps, water hyacinth, durian shells, dry leaves, animal manure, agricultural waste, and others
Products obtained from research:

Compost maker

• To quickly make compost
• To make ready-to-use soil mix ready or mix for improving the soil quality

Small compost maker (80-liter compost bin) for households
Large compost maker (400-liter compost bin) for agencies/communities/agricultural lands

Researcher: Dr. Lukkhana Benjawan and team
Adopter: From 2019 – 2023, compost makers have been used in many sectors with a total number of not less than 250 units in 45 provinces. Examples of users include Sufficiency Economy Model Centers, communities/villages, municipalities/district offices, temples, schools, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, agricultural lands, and animal farms.

Nowadays, a large amount of organic waste is generated from the household, industry, and agriculture. Not many organic wastes have not been utilized for making compost. This is due to the limitations of traditional composting methods requiring a large amount of organic waste and a composting period of several months. In addition, another main reason is the lack of convenient equipment and appropriate methods. As a result, people choose to dispose of their organic waste in the municipal garbage bin. The research team therefore has the idea to invent a rapid compost production machine (composting time is 5-7 days) that does not require large quantities of organic waste at a time and does not take up large space. This will provide convenience and incentives for people to make more compost. This will promote the circularity of minerals in the environment and help reduce the burden on solid waste disposal for the government.

The research result is the production of compost production machines. The beginning is done by feeding small pieces of organic waste or agricultural leftovers cut and chopped into the fermentation tank and turning on the switch to stir and mix the organic waste. When the organic waste is well mixed, the humidity of the organic waste is checked in the fermentation tank. The fermentation period takes 5-7 days. Every day, turn on the machine to stir the organic waste for 2-5 minutes (electricity costs approximately 9 Baht/month). When the organic waste in the tank becomes brown to dark and has soil odor, it is an indication that It’s already compost (even though the temperature is still hot). Compost can be removed from the fermenter tank and should be left in a basket until the compost is completely decomposed (no hot temperature remains) and ready to be used.

In addition, communities and farmers can produce compost and ready-to-use soil for their own use and for sale. The return on investment can be achieved in a short term.

Video showing the community making money from making compost

Project “Development of aerobic organic wastes composter prototypes with automatic mixing for household and community users”

Supported by the National Research Council of Thailand (Fiscal year 2012)

Researcher

Dr. Lukkhana Benjawan and team
Central Laboratory and Greenhouse Complex, Research Center and Academic Services, Faculty of Agriculture at Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen
1 Moo 6 Tambon Kamphaeng Saen, Amphur Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom 73140
Email: rdilnb@ku.ac.th