Economic Exploitation Of Household Waste

PANA, 11 October 1999

TRIPOLI, Libya (PANA) - Libya is regarded as the only north African country to have initiated economic exploitation of household waste into organic fertiliser with the building of five waste recycling plants in the suburbs of Tripoli, Beida, Benghazi, Musurata and Derna.

The plants, which recycle household waste into fertilisers, are part of the country's major objective to ensure a healthy environment.

The Tripoli plant recycles 500 tonnes of household waste, producing 212 tonnes of organic fertilisers daily.

The waste, separated from metal, plastic and other non-biodegradable elements, is dumped into fermentation tanks with a mixture of nitrogen, air and water.

The fermentation is thus facilitated into organic fertilisers using moulds and sieves.

According to an official of the Tripoli plant, the processing capacity will be raised to 1,500 tonnes a day at the end of current works to extend the fermentation tanks.

A tonne of household waste recycled produces 21 kg of fertiliser for a production cost of 30 US dollars, he added.

Libya has encouraged the setting up of waste processing and recycling companies. Among the current companies are the Paper Processing and the Scrap Iron Processing Companies.