Soil, Not Waste – Converting Organic Waste with the Help of Worms in India
Vermigold Ecotech has won the 2013 Energy Globe award from India. The Energy Globe Award is today the world’s most prominent environmental award given annually to outstanding projects focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energies and the conservation of resources. The organic waste management system of the Indian company Vermigold offers solutions to the growing problem of organic waste. It was conceived as an on-site, continuous processing system to convert organic waste to soil and fertiliser with the help of earth worms. The system reduces the volume of the waste by 90% and has received multiple awards. It is also the only Indian waste management system to have obtained international certification. The automated in-vessel compost system converts biological waste into eco-friendly solid and liquid organic fertilisers that can be used in gardens. The composting process can be described as follows: sorted organic waste is collected, then shredded and mixed according to a special recipe in the organic waste processor. Then it is converted by the earthworms in the composter. Advantages of the system include its compactness, meaning it occupies only a small area, its reliability and its low operating costs. The company’s overall environmental approach is also reflected in its use of solar energy.
Throughout the world, more than half of the waste in landfills is organic waste, usually packed in plastic bags. This contributes directly to global warming. This state of affairs motivated Jaideep Saptarshi to implement the project. His goal was to develop a visually appealing and uncomplicated solution for the disposal of organic waste that would benefit consumers and the environment. One challenge he had to overcome was the popular belief that waste cannot be treated locally without it being an eyesore. So he first needed to work on correcting these widespread reservations.
Vermigold systems cost only a third of comparable systems and only occupy one third of the surface area. The system reduces the amount of waste disposed as landfill, eliminates the need for transportation to the landfill site and instead turns the waste into a valuable resource. All this reduces carbon dioxide emissions and has a positive effect against global warming. This is just the start of the project – there are plans to distribute the system in all of India and abroad.