Institutional model with a life-cycle perspective for organic waste treatment

Abstract

The composting organic waste is an emerging practice in households and educational institutions that promotes the transfer of knowledge towards behaviours that minimize environmental impacts and risks to human health. The objective was applying a circular transition model focused on the life cycle to promote the knowledge acquired by students in Environmental Sciences and environmental performance in a home environment containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. The model stages are: generation, collection, separation, composting treatment and physico-chemical characterization. As a result, it was obtained that the process had an efficiency of 48% with respect to fresh weight and an adequate quality in accordance with official regulations. The ecological behavior acquired in the group of students confined in their homes, was evaluated through perception surveys on actions and attitudes carried out with respect to the domestic management of waste, yielding 59% as a successful experience. The life cycle perspective for the treatment of organic waste aims to counteract the environmental impact, as well as a circular economy approach to the integral management within and outside the institution.