Solid Garbage Treatment: Issues and Challenges

The escalating volume of solid waste due to rapid urbanization, population growth, and industrialization poses significant environmental and public health challenges. Improper disposal of solid waste, especially organic and municipal garbage, leads to pollution of soil, air, and water, causing a surge in health risks and ecosystem degradation. Traditional waste management practices are often inefficient, expensive, and time-consuming. Composting and vermicomposting have emerged as eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternatives for organic waste management. Vermicomposting, which employs earthworms to decompose organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, has shown potential in improving soil fertility, reducing pathogenic microbes, and recycling essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Various organic wastes such as agricultural residues, municipal waste, animal dung, and market garbage have been effectively treated through vermicomposting using species like Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. This review emphasizes the technological, environmental, and agricultural benefits of vermicomposting in transforming biodegradable solid waste into valuable compost, promoting sustainable waste management practices, and enhancing agricultural productivity.