Caractérisation des déchets ménagers et assimilés dans deux résidences universitaires: Ex-Habitat et Hasnaoua 2 (Tizi-Ouzou, Algérie) et essais de compostage des biodéchets.

The aim of the present study is the characterisation of the household and assimilated wastes generated by two university residences (Ex Habitat and Hasnaoua), both located in TIZI-OUZOU (Algeria), to know their typologies and quantities for better management. The results show that the organic wastes represent the dominating fraction with 87,95% in the Ex-Habitat and 96,57% in Hasnaoua 2. The ratio was 0,29kg/person/day for the first university residence and 0,22% for the second one. Two methods of composting were used to treat large quantities of organic waste in-situ: in piles and composters thus to prevent them from being sent to the Oued-Falli landfills (Tizi-Ouzou). The composting process monitoring allowed us to get satisfying results using olive pomace, sawdust, dry tree leaves and cardboard paper as a carbon input. The highest temperatures were obtained with olive pomace, sawdust and dry leaves, indicating a good progression of the degradation process of the biowaste mixed withthese carbonaceous materials. As for paper/cardboard, the results show a less intense microbial activity where the maximum temperatures did not exceed 37.5°C in the piles and composters where the biowaste was mixed with this carbon input. These results allow us to conclude that paper/cardboard as a carbon input is not recommended because its presence in the substrate prevents the smooth running of the composting process: poor oxygen circulation, which slows down the degradation of the biowaste and produces foul odours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]