Compost Treatment: the Project Fer-Rich Saves about Rs 200 million

Economic and ecological, this technology can significantly speed up the composting process and to save about Rs 200 million each year to the Mauritian government.

The amount of solid waste generated daily in Mauritius is about 1 200 tonnes, 400,000 tonnes per year. The unique system of waste disposal on the island is the resort landfill Chicose-Mare which is currently facing many problems such as saturation of the site, the increased cost of waste transfer and bad odors.

The Solid Waste Recycling Limited (SWRL) has decided to focus on the compost. It signed an agreement in 2009 with the Indian company Excel, pioneer and leader in the business of composting of municipal waste in the Great Peninsula.

" Our factory is the first to operate abroad ", says Patrick Morel, Chief Executive Officer of SWRL. He explained that the company has toured the world before choosing technology Exel Industries.

How does it work? The principle is simple. The unsorted waste collected and SWRL are routed to the Cottage and unloaded on a platform of concrete. Is inoculated with the entire bioculum, a naturally occurring bacteria that will increase the temperature of the waste to 70 ° C and allow to kill pathogens. After 4 to 6 weeks and three stages of sorting, organic wastes are transformed into natural compost and sold under the brand name of Iron-Rich.

Romeela Mohe, a professor at the University of Mauritius, has worked for 22 years on the technology of composting.According to studies, it appears that 80% of biodegradable waste in Mauritius. She participated in the tests on the stability and enrichment of compost brand Iron-Rich, who is " a very good product that will service Ter re, "she said.

The company handles about 25% SWRL waste Mauritius, mainly from the towns of Quatre-Bornes, Rose Hill and Beau Bassin. Since opening in November 2011, SWRL makes every day 300 tons of municipal solid waste by 50 tons of compost.

The success of SWRL is undeniable. With an investment of more than 450 million rupees, the center is the first of its kind in the Indian Ocean and in the long term will alleviate the problem of waste management in Mauritius. "Currently, demand is so strong that we fail to satisfy all customers. We already have requests for other African countries , "said Selvena Rungasamy, General Manager of SWRL.

The government has allocated to the company some 90 000 additional tons of waste per year, requiring the development of means of production of compost. SWRL should have in June 2012 of a new platform 6 000m2 and a conveyor 60 feet long.