Development of a Hygienization Technology for Food Waste through Co-Composting

Project Summary

Széchenyi Terv Plusz

Building Hungary Together! 

Project Owner: OS Pelso Limited Liability Company

Project Title: Development of a Hygienisation Technology for Food Waste through Co-Composting

Project Identification Number: GINOP_PLUSZ-2.1.1-21-2022-00222

Amount of Funding: HUF 94.31 million

Funding Intensity: 64.86%

Project Completion Date: 27 March 2025

The project was implemented with the support of the European Union and co-financed by the Hungarian State.

Project Objective

 Through this project, OS Pelso Kft. aims to develop an innovative production technology to address a complex waste recovery challenge.

Biodegradable waste is generated in large quantities both nationally and internationally across residential, municipal, and business sectors. With the proper composting technology adapted to the chemical and physical characteristics of these wastes, they can be diverted from landfills and transformed into valuable soil-improving nutrient sources.

Currently, only green waste is composted using well-established technologies. However, as of 1 January 2024, in accordance with EU Directive 1999/31/EC, not only green waste but also other biodegradable waste (such as kitchen and food residues) must be collected separately and recycled in line with circular economy principles.

The project's main goal is to develop a specialised, unified composting process for the co-treatment of separately collected biodegradable household waste containing animal by-products, along with green waste and sewage sludge. In addition, the aim is to develop a hygienisation method that does not require pasteurisation, yet still meets legal requirements for producing a certified compost product.

To achieve these goals, the project involves a comprehensive composting experiment. OS Pelso Kft. will carry out a series of composting trials using various mixing ratios, technological interventions (aeration, turning, covering), and microbiological additives. The entire lifecycle of the compost piles — including preprocessing, the intensive phase, and maturation — will be monitored and documented through measurement logs and prism journals to determine the optimal production protocol for co-composting the specified waste types. Laboratory analyses and sample testing will validate the results.

The compost produced with the newly developed technology will have a high organic matter content and will significantly contribute to restoring soil fertility — including humus levels, mineral balance, nutrients, and biodiversity.

Currently, no comprehensive technological solution exists — either in Hungary or internationally — that fully addresses the outlined issues. Therefore, the outcomes of this project are expected to have international relevance.

To implement the project, OS Pelso Kft. has made substantial investments, including the construction of two new aerated platforms suitable for compost pile formation using advanced technology.

Planned Project Outcomes:

• •   Development of a new, innovative technological protocol, replacing conventional pasteurisation with extended hyperthermophilic hygienisation

  • Enabling the safe and legal recycling of biodegradable household waste containing animal by-products into the circular economy

  • Production of a certified soil-enhancing product

  • Removal of waste status from input materials

  • Optimisation of composting cycle duration, resulting in reduced unit costs

Project Progress

 In July 2022, a project kick-off meeting was held, during which participants discussed their objectives and outlined the key tasks required to successfully execute the project schedule.
The main goal: to achieve hygienisation through co-composting using kitchen and catering waste. Specifically, food waste is to be co-composted with shredded green waste and dewatered sewage sludge, applying optimal mixing ratios. The aim is to develop a final product that is rich in nutrients and free of pathogens.

During the meeting, the project team also coordinated the organisation and implementation of the initial investments planned for the first project phase.

Investments Completed in the First Four Months:

• Construction of experimental composting zones with precast concrete sidewalls
• Installation of an aeration system (perforated pipes and ventilators)
• Implementation and commissioning of the Profikomp GORE® technology with a full process control system and semi-permeable membrane covers

A designated scientific consultant reviewed both domestic and international literature and compiled a register of relevant practices.

In the first phase of the project, the sourcing options for the planned input materials were also assessed.

According to the implementation schedule, a total of 36 compost piles (prisms) will be constructed, using various curing cycles and different additives.

So far, three experimental piles have been built using three different additive types, and a fourth pile has been constructed as a control sample.

After a 90-day maturation cycle, samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for the planned analyses. Evaluation of the test results is currently ongoing.

After each composting cycle, the project team convenes to review the outcomes and plan the next steps.

Sincerely,
OS Pelso Kft.

ProfessionalSummary

::Justification for the Project:

 The project owner, OS Pelso Kft., aimed to develop an innovative production technology to address a complex waste recovery issue. Biodegradable waste (green waste and food waste) is generated in large quantities both nationally and internationally across households, public institutions, and businesses. In Hungary alone, approximately 400,000 tons of green waste and around 300,000 tons of dewatered sewage sludge are produced annually.

To date, these waste streams have only been utilized to a limited extent. A significant portion of the dewatered sewage sludge is used for land reclamation or incinerated. A smaller fraction is applied to agricultural land without any pre-treatment. Similarly, a substantial amount of green waste ends up in landfills or incineration plants. Biodegradable household waste containing animal by-products and food waste is primarily utilized in biogas plants to extract methane, leaving behind a fermented sludge with reduced carbon and nutrient content. Food waste is also used in animal feed, which requires energy-intensive pre-treatment and is subject to strict regulations.

Currently, large-scale industrial composting technologies are only available for green waste.

European Union Obligation:

 From 1 January 2024, based on EU Directive 1999/31/EC, member states are required to collect not only green waste but also other biodegradable waste (e.g., kitchen scraps, food leftovers) separately and recycle them in line with circular economy principles.

In developed countries, the majority of food waste originates from households. In Hungary, this amounts to approximately 68 kg per capita annually, with 49% being avoidable and 47% unavoidable food waste.

The European Union's Vision for the Transition from a Linear Economy to a Circular Economy:

 The circular economy model emphasizes extending the life cycle of products and reusing materials, thereby reducing waste generation and relieving pressure on landfills. In the case of food waste, this means recovering nutrients and returning them to agricultural and food production systems.

Composting biodegradable waste is a direct method of achieving circular economy goals.

With the technology developed in this project, between 900,000 and 1,000,000 tons of high-organic-content waste can be recycled annually within a circular framework. Currently, no approved and adaptable composting method exists for the co-composting of sewage sludge and biodegradable waste.

Project Objectives:

 The project aimed to:

• Develop a unified composting process for the co-treatment of biodegradable household waste (including animal by-products), green waste, and dewatered sewage sludge

• Create a hygienisation method without pasteurization that meets regulatory standards for certified compost products

• Reduce the typical 4–24 month composting cycle to 4–6 weeks, significantly increasing production capacity

• Establish an industrial-scale, cost-effective composting process that produces affordable, high-quality products to compete with chemical fertilizers

Project Implementation:

A tervezett eredmények sikeres elérése érdekében a projektgazda egy komplex komposztálási kísérletsorozatot hajtott végre. A kísérlet végrehajtásához a projektgazda az alábbi beruházásokat hajtotta végre:

• Kialakított 2 db 25 méter hosszú kísérleti prizmateret lego beton kocka oldalalakkal

• Kialakított 2 db levegőztető rendszert, mely perforált levegőztető csövek beépítését és ventilátorok beüzemelését jelenti

• Profikomp GORE technológia kiépítése és üzembe helyezése komplett folyamatirányító rendszerrel, szemipermeábilis membrántakarókkal.

Experimental Composting:

 A total of 36 compost piles were constructed using various mixing ratios, technological interventions (aeration, turning, covering), and microbiological additives. The full composting process—from pre-treatment to maturation—was monitored and documented. The project identified optimal co-composting procedures through sample testing and laboratory analysis.

The process effectively reduced pathogens (e.g., fecal coliforms, streptococci, Salmonella, E. coli), and the resulting compost had high organic matter content, contributing significantly to soil fertility.

No comparable, comprehensive composting technology currently exists in Hungary or abroad.

Key Outcomes:

• Development of an innovative hygienisation process replacing pasteurization with extended hyperthermophilic treatment
• Integration of food waste with animal by-products into circular economic processes
• Production of a certified soil enhancer
• Elimination of waste status for input materials
• Optimization of composting cycle and reduction of unit costs
• Reduction of CO2 emissions

Scientific and Technical Innovations:

 The project developed a novel utilization method that converts biodegradable waste into high-value soil enhancers. The new method achieves complete hygienisation with significantly lower energy consumption than direct heat treatment.

The composting protocol flexibly adapts to the physical variability of food waste by blending it with sewage sludge (nutrient source) and green waste (providing structure and moisture balance). The optimal mixing ratio enabled stable temperatures of 65–70°C for up to 90 days, ensuring effective pathogen elimination.

The combination of three input materials increased microbial diversity, supporting ideal decomposition and humus formation. Unlike synthetic fertilizers, compost adds organic matter and improves soil health, biodiversity, and water retention capacity.

The final compost product contained 35–45% organic matter, ideally suited to Hungary's low-humus soils.

Resolved Scientific Uncertainties:

•  Identified optimal mixing ratio (6 parts green waste, 2 parts food waste, 2 parts structured inoculum, 4 parts dewatered sludge) capable of sustaining 60–65°C for 45+ days 

• Developed a passive hygienisation system without external heat input
• Confirmed high nutrient value and microbial diversity in final product
• Determined that site-aged middle fractions were more effective than bacterial additives
• Found 60-day composting cycle to be optimal for cost-efficient industrial application

Project Deliverables:

• Compost product made from biodegradable waste

• Composting technology encompassing the processing of sewage sludge and green waste, and the novel hygienisation method (no comparable technology currently exists worldwide)

Project Vision:

 For both carbon cycle balance and circular economy implementation, it is essential that carbon stored in household bio-waste and green waste be returned to the soil.

The developed technology offers a nationally significant solution for waste recovery and soil fertility management.

In Hungary, approximately 385,000 tons of food waste, 250,000 tons of dewatered sewage sludge, and 317,000 tons of green waste are produced annually. This technology enables the sustainable reuse of up to 1,000,000 tons of organic waste per year.

Through co-composting, nutrients and carbon are returned to the soil, promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing landfill use by nearly 100%.

Date: 9 April 2025