Three new systems for recycling of urban organic waste to agriculture

Summary

Short-Circuit is an on-going EU-LIFE ENVIRONMENT funded project (KVL is project leader) with the aim of 'short-circuiting' the carbon and nutrient cycle between urban and rural districts by establishing three new systems for source separation, collection and composting of organic waste in the greater Copenhagen area.
The project is a collaboration between research institutions (KVL and Küngl. Tekniska Högskolan in Stockholm), and industry represented by the composting firm Solum Ltd. and the Internet-based box scheme business Aarstiderne Ltd.
KVL´s part of the activity is co-funded by the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming, via the CRUCIAL project.
These two projects form part of a coherent effort to re-invent urban waste management with emphasis on closing the rural-urban nutrient cycle.
The main objectives of the Short-Circuit project are:
* To develop three new full-scale source separation and composting systems designed to optimise recycling of organic urban waste to agriculture by establishing a close relation between the sources, households, and the end users.
* To optimise the systems via technical solutions as well as through increased public participation to improve source separation with minimum amounts of contaminants in the waste.
* To evaluate the environmental impact of the three systems by systems analysis.