Recycling of Organic Wastes in Agriculture: An Environmental Perspective

• Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research 2019-04, Vol.13 (2), p.409-429
• Main Authors: Sharma, Bhavisha, Vaish, Barkha, Monika, Singh, Umesh Kumar, Singh, Pooja, Singh, Rajeev Pratap
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural economics; Agricultural management; Agricultural wastes; Agrochemicals; Agronomy; Anaerobic digestion; Composting; Contaminants; Crop yield; Earth and Environmental Science; Economic conditions; Economics; Emissions; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Environmental health; Environmental Management; Environmental quality; Eutrophication; Fertilizers; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Heavy metals; Imports; Landfills; Landscape; Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning; Natural Hazards; Nutrients; Organic chemistry; Organic farming; Organic fertilizers; Organic matter; Organic wastes; Pollutants; Production costs; Recycling; Review Article; Risk assessment; Soil fertility; Transportation; Utilization; Waste disposal; Waste management; Worms
• ISSN: 1735-6865; 2008-2304
• DOI: 10.1007/s41742-019-00175-y

Inadequate organic waste management leads to a plethora of problems such as environmental pollution, eutrophication, esthetic damage to urban landscape, greenhouse gases emission and effects on human health. Unwise and non-scientific disposal of wastes not only poses a grave threat to environmental quality but also results in loss of economic value of wastes. Since organic wastes are an abundant pool of organic matter and valuable plant nutrients, agricultural recycling of these wastes appears to be a promising alternative enabling value addition and their resourceful utilization. Land application of organic wastes stabilized through techniques such as composting, vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion yielding excellent organic fertilizer like compost augments soil fertility and crop yield. Additionally, the practice incorporates indirect environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, land conservation due to reduced landfilling of wastes and substitute to chemical fertilizers. Economically also, agricultural utilization of organic wastes reduces the cost of landfilling, transportation of wastes, imports and production cost of chemical fertilizers and opens avenues for rural employment. However, effective utilization of organic wastes for agricultural purposes requires thorough and strict risk assessment to prevent the adverse effects of contaminants like heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants to ensure agro-environmental sustainability. The present article aims to enlist the positives and negatives associated with this practice enabling to devise an approach or strategy deriving maximum environmental and economic benefits. Article Highlights Agricultural recycling of organic wastes can be explored as an eco-friendly and sustainable waste management approach. Organic wastes are a rich source of beneficial plant nutrients (macro and micro) and organic matter. Organic waste amendments improve soil physico-chemical and biological properties and benefit plant productivity. Organic wastes offer the potential to be used as a valuable resource.