Quantitative assessment of biodegradable kitchen waste generation from three star hotels in Chandigarh and its potential for composting

Simranjit Kaur, Dinesh Goyal, Randeep Singh Saini

Due to the expansion of business profile, Chandigarh city has become a hot spot for hospitality sector, which is one of the major sources for generation of biodegradable kitchen waste.  The present study was conducted to assess the quantum of biodegradable kitchen waste generation from three star hotels in Chandigarh, waste management practices being followed and potential of biodegradable waste for composting. The study involved survey in 11 three star hotels of Chandigarh (India) out of 70 three star hotels located in the province. A questionnaire was used to collect the data from hotel staff. The biodegradable waste generated was quantified and composted using a lab scale mechanical composter. The results have shown that the waste generation rate varies from 40-80 Kg/day/hotel. Segregation of waste at source is being partly implemented as vegetables peelings are mixed in dry waste and used tissues in wet waste. The dry waste is picked by municipal workers from all the hotels and is dumped at the landfill site however the wet waste is being given to piggeries by most of the hotels on daily basis. Out of the total waste generated, 38-44% of waste generated is biodegradable kitchen waste which can be composted to get a compost of C/N ratio 22.79 ± 4.43. This compost can be used as soil amending agent in gardening. Thus the kitchen waste generated from hotels has a good potential for composting which can done on a small scale through a suitable decentralized system. This will help in decreasing the ultimate load on landfill and will assure environmentally sound disposal of biodegradable waste.

https://dx.doi.org/10.31873/IJEAS.6.8.2019.22