AVALIAÇÃO DO RESTO-INGESTA PARA A IMPLANTAÇÃO DE UM SISTEMA DE TRATAMENTO DE RESÍDUOS ORGÂNICOS POR MEIO DA COMPOSTAGEM OTIMIZADA COM BIOCATALISADORES

Abstract

The inadequate management of organic waste represents an environmental and health challenge, especially in educational institutions, where the production of this waste is significant. The leftovers index is a tool used to measure food waste and understand the relationship between the waste discarded by diners and the amount of food served. At the same time, composting appears to be a viable solution for treating this waste, avoiding improper disposal and promoting the production of quality organic compost. Furthermore, the efficiency of this process can be optimized through the addition of biocatalysts, which accelerate the decomposition of organic matter and positively influence the chemical parameters of the final compost. Therefore, the aim of this research is to evaluate the leftovers index in a school restaurant at an educational institution in São Luís/MA, develop a System for the Treatment of Organic Waste through Composting (STROC) and investigate the influence of adding biocatalysts on the quality of the compost produced. To this end, the research was conducted in three stages. The first consisted of the daily quantification of food waste discarded by 1,025 diners, from November 14, 2022 to June 23, 2023, to determine the leftover index. The second stage involved the implementation of the STROC, in which the waste was classified and submitted to the composting process in the “Windrow” system, with periodic turning to optimize aeration and humidity. In the third stage, the influence of biocatalysts on composting was assessed by setting up 12 windrows, six with the addition of horse, cattle and goat droppings as biocatalysts and six with no addition, for control purposes. The final compost was subjected to chemical analysis to check its quality. The results showed that the average leftover index was 4.96%, which was classified as “good”. The STROC proved efficient in treating organic waste from the school restaurant, processing a total of 3,074.35 kg of waste and generating high-quality organic compost. The addition of biocatalysts positively influenced pH stabilization and the retention of organic matter, especially the goat biocatalyst, which resulted in higher potassium concentrations. It can be concluded that assessing food waste, implementing an efficient composting system and using biocatalysts are sustainable and complementary strategies for organic waste management. Adopting these practices not only reduces environmental impacts and improves the quality of organic compost, but also promotes socio-environmental benefits, contributing to environmental education and the development of a circular economy in educational institutions.