Accelerating Paper Waste Decomposition in Home Composting, Promoting Sustainable Resource Circulation
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Abstract
The increase in global consumption has led to a significant increase in the amount of paper waste, one of the major components of municipal solid waste. As a cellulose-based material, paper can undergo biological degradation through composting. In this study, the biodegradation of five commercial paper-based packaging materials in a home composting system under ambient conditions was evaluated. Test samples (2.5 × 2.5 cm) were composted with synthetic organic waste from three microbial sources: dairy cow manure (DCM), microbial activator super LDD1 (LDD1), and photosynthetic bacteria (PSB). The results indicate that LDD1 and PSB, combined with DCM, significantly accelerated degradation, achieving visible decomposition within 2 weeks. However, nonbiodegradable plastic coatings on paper food boxes hindered complete degradation. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed progressive fiber decomposition, while germination index values exceeding 60% indicated compost maturity. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of paper waste biodegradation, thus informing waste management strategies and promoting sustainable organic waste treatment.
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