Use of Sewage-Refuse Compost in the Production of Ornamental Plants

Abstract The disposal of solid wastes from domestic and industrial sources and sludges from sewage treatment plants is an ever-increasing problem. More than 20 years ago our society’s prodigious waste production prompted Vance Packard (65) to characterize our society as a society of “waste makers” going from “riches to rags.” Estimates of the per capita production of waste vary, but it has been noted that the average person is generating more waste each year (97). During the last decade, environmental concerns and energy needs have raised serious questions about our methods of waste disposal. Bohn and Cauthorn (13) have observed that our handling of waste has been unimaginative and expensive.