Innovative biodegradable waste treatment as a possible solution for recultivation of tailings and slag landfills

A low-cost technology has been developed that stabilizes and transforms biowaste into a soil improver with high biological activity, faster (in hours) than other commercial composting technologies (in weeks). When bio-waste of known origin is used, the produced material can be used unhindered even for the most demanding food production. When biowaste is an integral part of mixed municipal waste, even if quality material is obtained, its use is limited and practically impossible due to strict legal regulations. But it can be used to revitalize degraded areas. In many countries, there are significant large quantities of municipal biological waste and sewage sludge, with which it is not known what and where to dispose of. Different types of organic materials can be used for the revitalization (greening) of devastated lands. Quantities of these materials are usually limited and often very expensive, so successful revitalizations are rare. With a new low-cost technology, the total biowaste contained in municipal waste could be used for the revitalization of devastated areas. The paper explains the method of obtaining biologically highly active material and the reuse of this material in greening and erosion reduction at the waste disposal site in Split/Croatia is shown.