A Compact Automatic Utensil to Convert Kitchen Waste into Organic Fertilizer for Plants

The key to collect the waste from the apartment or huddle and make them decompose and convert to fertilizer is a complicated process. The proposed project is used to convert food waste into fertilizer for gardening in a short period of time. The proposed idea aims to design and fabricate a compact machine to convert kitchen waste into organic fertilizer for plants. The waste used is kitchen waste such as vegetable peels, eggshells, cooked food etc. The project comprises hopper, container, blade, blender, motor, capacitive proximity sensor and PLC. This experimental setup has an opening to dump the waste into the container. The proximity sensor senses the dumping of waste and signals the blade motor to turn on immediately. The sequence of operations are programmed and simulated using a programmable logic controller. The waste undergoes the crushing process that makes the waste to smaller size that helps to decompose easily. To produce a dry fertilizer, the excess water from the waste must be removed. Hence the waste then undergoes a heating process by using a heating coil along with the blending of the soil with waste to remove the water evenly. Coconut fiber and microbial soil is added simultaneously during the blending process to mix the waste and soil to form a rich fertilizer. After 78 hours, the waste that is blended with soil will be decomposed and converted as a fertilizer that will be ready to use in gardens