Real Life Stories of Working with Nature-based Solutions: Composting
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In this testimonial video clip, Mr. Mhana Amour, head of plant conservation at the Botanical Gardens of Hamma in Algiers, Algeria, explains about the composting which takes place in the Gardens. The Gardens are known as the Test Gardens, and true to this alias, the first composting station in Algeria was inaugurated at these Botanical Gardens in 2009. Thus, aside from experimental cultivation trials of plants and trees, the Gardens became actively involved in the recovery and valorisation of green waste. The composting platform extends over one hectare of the Gardens. It includes a set of two shredders, a cylindrical rotating mesh and a sieve. The composting process starts with the collection of green waste, including everything that is collected from gardening activities such as mowing, pruning, and trimming. Once transported to the composting platform, the green waste is sorted according to its diameter. One shredder handles the green waste with a diameter of between 20 and 25 centimetres, the other processes the green waste with a diameter of less than 20 centimetres. After shredding the green waste, the next step is to build up compost piles (windrows). This is followed by watering the windrows, which is the most important step because moisture is essential for the decomposition of plant material. This operation is the most time-consuming in the composting process, typically lasting between 6 to 8 months depending on environmental factors. At the end of this process, an initial, partially processed product is obtained, referred to as raw compost. To obtain the final product, the raw compost is passed through a sieve with 2 mm meshes. After a physico-chemical analysis, the finished product is filled in bags.

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