The composting plants play a crucial role in the recycling chain: their task is to treat organic waste, which accounts for about 20% of all waste produced in our cities. Organic waste has characteristics that are completely different from inorganic waste (such as RSU, plastic, WEEE or other), and therefore require specific treatments that make it possible to recover and valorize them.
Proper management of organic waste allows to obtain, at the end of the process, compost (also called "composted fertilizer"), an organic fertilizer widely used in horticulture and agriculture, thanks to its high concentration of nutrients.
The process of transforming organic waste into compost is a natural process that also occurs spontaneously, but in composting plants, specific environmental conditions are created to favor the maturation of the fertilizer and accelerate the process, which would otherwise occur much more slowly and with a lower level of efficiency.
How a composting plant works
A composting plant "imitates" the natural process of organic matter decomposition, but in a more controlled and efficient way, in order to provide greater guarantees both in terms of the quality of the compost produced and public health protection.
The composting process involves the organic waste, separated by users through separate collection, arriving at the treatment plants where it undergoes a first mixing phase, necessary to make the material to be treated as uniform as possible. The prepared waste is then sent to specific containers (biocells, biocumuli, containers...) where temperature, humidity level and oxygen concentration can be controlled. This controlled atmosphere environment allows to create the optimal conditions for the oxidation of organic matter, which is carried out by specific microorganisms, fungi and bacteria. This process leads, in a predetermined time, to the decomposition of the waste and the production of biologically stable and nutrient-rich compost, suitable for subsequent use in agriculture.
The organic matter, as it decomposes, reduces in volume and is therefore transferred from the original containers to specific areas of the plant called "maturation areas" and "storage areas", where it remains for predetermined periods of time to complete its transformation into compost. At the end of the process, the compost is subjected to a screening - necessary to separate any components that are not adequately decomposed - and finally exits the plant; the material that does not pass the final screening, on the other hand, can be recovered and sent to a new composting cycle.
All composting plants are also equipped with specific collectors, vacuum cleaners and biological filters that allow to control the quality of the air emitted, in order to limit the impact of the plant on the surrounding environment. The oxidation of organic matter, while being a natural process that does not require the use of toxic substances, generates unpleasant odors that must be controlled and managed.
CAMEC machines and composting plants
The CAMEC catalog features various machines capable of efficiently completing the equipment of a composting plant. These include:
- Shredders and openers
to be used in the initial stages of processing to unbundle the material to be treated without damaging it or reducing its volume; - Laceratori e aprisacchi
(in rubber, pvc or metal) to be used for the transfer of the material to the different areas of the plant corresponding to the different stages of maturation; - Screens
that can be used for the separation of the mature component of the compost in the final stage of processing.
Thanks to the ample possibilities of customization, all CAMEC machines can be modified according to the needs of the customers, in order to adapt to their requirements and integrate perfectly with the other waste treatment systems already present in the plant. This makes it possible to use our solutions for waste management even in a challenging context such as that of a composting plant, obtaining always satisfactory results in terms of safety and quality.
To learn more about the possible applications of CAMEC technologies in the context of a composting plant, contact our team!
