Evaluation of sugarcane residues and organic waste combinations in sustainable bin composting

Rising global sugar demand from population growth generates large amounts of sugarcane by-products (press mud and leaves), posing waste-management challenges. Sugarcane agro-waste, rich in organic matter and nutrients, is well suited for composting to improve soil fertility. This study assessed decomposition efficiency and nutrient changes in sugarcane leaves composted with varying proportions of food waste, cow dung, and press mud. In a sugar factory located at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, 1.5 tons of sugarcane leaves were collected and transported to SVNIT, Surat, Gujarat, India. The experiment included five composting trials with varying proportions of sugarcane leaves and organic additives. Composting lasted 65 days, during which moisture, total organic carbon (TOC), carbon–nitrogen (C/N) ratio, total volatile solids, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), total nitrogen (TN), and a germination index for maturity were analyzed. Moisture declined from 80 % to 30 %, TOC from 45 % to 18 %, and C/N from 127 to 8.6–13.9. TN rose from 0.37 % to 2.47 %, while NH4+-N fell from 700 mg/kg to ∼80 mg/kg, indicating nitrogen stabilization. The germination index for all the trials ranged from 85 % to 97 %, which indicated that the compost was mature. Analysis of variance showed that significant differences in pH, electrical conductivity, CO₂ evolution, NH₄⁺-N, TN, and C/N ratio significantly differed (p < 0.05), indicating a successful process of stabilization and degradation (denoting decomposition and stabilization process). Overall, these results show that composting with organic additives can optimize the conversion of sugarcane trash into more nutrient-dense compost, an important process in sustainable waste and soil management.