IIT Kanpur's Solar-Powered Compost Maker Can Process Kitchen Waste In 10 Days And Is Apt For Houses

Processing of food and other kitchen waste remains a major challenge, especially in the cities where people do not have the luxury of space.

While most people just throw them away along with other household waste, others still try to find value in it.

One of the most common practices is to turn it into compost and use is the kitchen or terrace gardens.

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But, this is not possible for everyone, especially those living in apartments and small residential societies.

A startup incubated by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) has developed a compost-maker specifically keeping this group in mind.

The device, BHOOMI which stands for Bio-composting of Horticulture & Organic waste into Manure Indigenously was co-developed by Agnys Waste Management Pvt. Ltd, a Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) IIT Kanpur-incubated company and Imagineering Lab, IIT Kanpur.

BHOOMI

The device is equipped with advanced features like carbon filters, shredders, air pumps, solar panels, which systematically convert waste into manure in just 10-20 days. The process is more convenient and rapid than the conventional technologies.

The device follows a step-wise simplistic process where at first the organic waste goes through the hopper and the inbuilt shredder cuts it into small and uniform pieces. The finely cut waste then enters into the main body of the machine which contains a unique bacterial solution to initiate the composting process.

A mixer and air pumps are installed inside to enhance its speed so that the composting is done within 10-20 days. Temperature and humidity sensors are also installed to regularly measure the day-to-day process. After the temperature stabilizes, the compost can be collected for use.

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"Our research showed that around 60 per cent of the waste generated in a household is organic. Our aim was to make a device that can collect and process the organic waste that is collected in a residential complex for 10-20 days. The first component of BHOOMI is a shredding machine, which chops the collected garbage into uniform size," Prof. Janakarajan Ramkumar, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Design Program and Coordinator, Medtech lab and Imagineering Laboratory, IIT Kanpur told Indiatimes.

In the second stage, a bacteria developed by IIT Kanpur take over.

"This bacteria is out IP. This bacteria is necessary for the composting process. Otherwise, it might take a longer time and make the process inefficient," Prof. Ramkumar said.

The machine stirs the waste which activates the bacteria.

At this stage, the composting process will generate an odour, which can be an issue for many.

"We installed a carbon filter which absorbs the smell and also accelerates the composting process when it is stirred," Prof. Ramkumar said.

The device has a capacity of processing around 200 kgs of organic waste in one batch and by the time the next batch is collected in the household, BHOOMI will convert it into compost.

Representational Image

The device is powered by solar for the shredding and stirring processes. Including the solar panel, BHOOMI costs just around Rs 5,000.

Prof. Ramkumar said that the device is made in such a way that it will pay off the cost of its own in the form of compost.

Hari Shankar, a B.Tech student from IIT-Kanpur and the founder of Agnys Waste Management had been researching this for the past 4 to 5 years, including developing the bacteria.

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He was supported by the Imagineering Lab, IIT Kanpur, and funded Engineer¡¯s India Limited.

According to Prof. Ramkumar, Imagineering Lab was a concept developed at IIT Kanpur to bring together imagining and engineering - where virtual product ideas are developed into market-ready products.

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