Food Waste Conversion to Halal Organic Fertilizers

Abstract

Up to one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted, with negative effects on the environment, society, and the economy. The value contained in kitchen food waste is being recognized more and more, and Brunei Darussalam is among the highest in the region with a solid waste output of 1.4 kg per capita per day. However, it is estimated that only 11.3% of the food waste was recycled, with the remaining portion ending up in landfills. In this context, this paper aims to offer recommendations for the most environmentally beneficial methods of using kitchen food waste, with composting kitchen food waste producing natural, halal, eco-friendly fertilizer. Thus, a two-month experiment was conducted to produce compost-based fertilizer from kitchen food waste. The nutritional value of the plant was then ascertained by fertilizing one plant of bird's eye chillies with compost-based fertilizer (CBF) and another plant with clay-based soil (CBS). Results of this study showed that the nutrients in CBF plants consist % of Total Nitrogen, % Total Phosphorus which are all in the accepted range. Thus, it demonstrates how composting food waste from households can aid in the management of waste reduction for sustainable and a healthy environment, and circular economy.