ISSN (Online) : 2319 - 8753 ISSN (Print) : 2347 - 6710 International Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization Volume 3, Special Issue 4, March 2014 National Conference on Recent Advances in Civil Engineering (NCRACE-2013) During 15-16 November, 2013 Organized by Department of Civil Engineering, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Copyright to IJIRSET www.ijirset.com 214 Home Composting: ASustainable Approach for MSW Managementin Itanagar Capital Complex Omem Paron 1 , Sunil Kumar 2 & Ajay Bharti 3 Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, NERIST, Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh, India 1 Scientist, Solid Waste Management Division, NEERI, Nagpur, India 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, NERIST, Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh, India 3 Abstract—Solid waste can be defined as any solid or semi-solid substance or object resulting from human or animal activities, discarded as useless or unwanted. It is an extremely mixed mass of wastes, which may originate from household, commercial, industrial or agricultural activities. Improper disposal of solid wastes pollutes all the vital components of the living environment (i.e., air, land and water) at local and global levels. The problem is more acute in developing nations than in developed nations, as their economic growth as well as urbanization is more rapid.Currently the capital complex (Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli including NERIST, Banderdewa, Doimukh, Yupia) area is plagued by acute problems related to solid waste. Due to lack of serious efforts by town/city authorities, garbage and its management has become a tenacious problem and this notwithstanding the fact that the largest part of municipal expenditure is allotted to it. Municipal solid waste generated from Itanagar Capital Complex in the year 2011 was 9690.393 tonnes. A large portion of it (7885.445093 tonnes) was organic waste [3]. This clearly indicates the significance of composting in management of MSW from Itanagar Capital Complex. The present paper stresses on the Home Composting as a sustainable approach for MSW management in Capital Complex, Itanagar. Keywords—Bin composting, Compost product, Organic Waste, Municipal Solid Waste, Disposal I. INTRODUCTION Solid waste is a broad term, which encompasses all kinds of waste such as Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Industrial Waste (IW), Hazardous Waste (HW), Bio- Medical Waste (BMW) and Electronic waste (E-waste) depending on their source & composition. It consists of organic and inorganic constituents which may or may not be biodegradable. On one hand, the recyclable components of solid waste could be useful as secondary resource for production processes. On the other hand, some of its toxic and harmful constituents may pose a danger if not handled properly. Source reduction, recycling and composting, waste-to-energy conversion facilities, and land filling are the four basic approaches to waste management. There has been a significant increase in MSW (municipal solid waste) generation in Itanagar capital complex area in the last few decades. This is largely because of rapid population growth. Due to rapid growth as well as constraint in resources, the management of solid waste poses a difficult and complex problem for the society and its improper management gravely affects the public health and degrades environment. This trend can be ascribed to our changing lifestyles, food habits, and change in living standards. Currently the Itanagar capital complex (Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli, Banderdewa, Doimukh, Yupia) areas are plagued by acute problems related to solid waste. Due to lack of serious efforts by town/city authorities, garbage and its management has become a tenacious problem and this notwithstanding the fact that the largest part of municipal expenditure is allotted to it. Despite this, there has been a progressive decline in the standard of services with respect to collection and disposal of municipal solid waste as well as measures for ensuring adequacy of environmental sanitation and public hygiene. In many part of the capital complex solid waste generated remains unattended, giving rise to insanitary conditions. Solid Waste Management is a part of public