Waste Management: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Establish Vermi-Composting Unit for Solid Waste Management

A vermicomposting unit has been established by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) to efficiently handle solid waste on its campus.

The company's press release stated that MRPL, spread over a 2,000-acre campus, produces a substantial amount of solid waste, including leaves, cut grass, vegetable waste, biodegradable waste, etc.

In order to turn approximately 90 tonnes a year of solid waste into 24 tonnes of fertilizer, the company preferred vermicomposting technology. This system lets MRPL control its on-site solid waste and provides high quality manure for more than 500 acres of the green belt it feeds on campus, it said.

For the vermi-composting method, the company used the Eudrilus eugeniae species of earthworm. This species of earthworm is being picked because of its ability to decompose at a faster rate. Every worm is capable of decomposing 4 kg of solid waste a day, the release said.

The vermi-composting unit was inaugurated by Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary (Refineries), Union Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas, on Monday.