The Market Demand for Organic Compost: Potential of recycled urban waste for small-scale entrepreneurs in Hyderabad, India

Solid waste Management is one of the most challenging issues for big cities, especially in the context of developing countries. The concentrated economic and industrial growth, along with the growing population of the city of Hyderabad, India, has resulted in unmanageable amounts of solid waste. Hyderabad is one of the fastest growing cities in India, with a population of about 7.5 million. This mega city faces a tremendous challenge in controlling and managing the unceasing generation of 3800MT solid waste per day. Recovering organic waste for composting is recognized as an important and widely accepted strategy for reducing urban waste. This new source of organic fertilizer might be expected to increase and expand the practice of the use of compost in urban farming which would help to curtail the burden upon municipalities of waste disposal as well as ameliorate the environmental problem associated with solid wastes. This paper analyzes the possible economic benefits and effects of turning the city's waste to compost. It examines the generation rate and collection process of the waste and considers the current market demand for compost as well as its economic potential. To support the economic viability of composted waste, it is necessary to identify markets and assess potential end user demand by urban and peri-urban farmers. A qualitative and quantitative market survey was carried out in twenty seven peri-urban villages, two fertilizer markets, three vegetable markets, and some scattered fertilizer shops in and around Hyderabad City to determine the retailer's interest in compost business and farmer's willingness-to-pay for compost.