Proof of concept of high-rate decentralized pre-composting of kitchen waste: Optimizing design and operationof a novel drum reactor.

Each ton of organic household waste that is collected, transported and composted incurs costs (€75/ton gate fee). Reducing the mass and volume of kitchen waste (KW) at the point of collection can diminish transport requirements and associated costs, while also leading to an overall reduction in gate fees for final processing. To this end, the objective of this research was to deliver a proof of concept for the so-called "urban pre-composter"; a bioreactor for the decentralized, high-rate pre-treatment of KW, that aims at mass and volume reduction at the point of collection.