Treating typical tropical food waste using anaerobic digestion

The amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in developing countries is increasing due to rapid urban development. MSW is a common type of biomass in Nigeria. It can be utilised as a reliable and renewable energy resource for Nigeria because of its availability. The organic fraction of MSW can be treated using a sustainable waste management technique that can create a positive impact in Nigeria such as anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion of food waste can be considered as one of the most promising renewable energy resources and waste management techniques for present and future generations. On that account, a feasibility study was conducted on the anaerobic digestion of a typical Nigerian food waste co-digested with paper, green waste, water hyacinth and Jatropha under mesophilic conditions. Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state situated within the Niger Delta region was used as the study area.This study confirmed that Nigerian food waste co-digested with different substrates can be treated with anaerobic digestion.